THE PROBLEM OF THE IJAW PEOPLE IS FAR BEYOND HUNGER: IT INCLUDES LIFE THREATENING HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE

President of the ljaw National Congress, (INC) Prof Benjamin Okaba disclosed this at a strategic meeting held with the Exco of the Europe Chapter of the INC. In a press briefing at the DOUBLE TREE HILTON, DOCKLAND, RIVERSIDE, LONDON on the 16th of August 2024, the INC President catalogued the human and environmental woes that have plagued the ljaw people, since the discovery of oil in the region. According to him, oil to the ljaws, is a curse and not a blessing.

He said, as part of the internationalization of the INC’s “Advocacy for Environmental Justice and True Federalism” deliberate measures should and must be taken by ljaws all over the world to condemn the increasing spate and scope of underdevelopment, human and environmental degradations and political balkanization suffered by the ljaw people; despite being among the four largest and major oil and gas producing ethnic groups in Nigeria.

He referenced the sordid state of ljaw land as copiously captured in a Commissioned Document  titled: ENVIRONMENTAL GENOCIDE: COUNTING THE HUMANITARIAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL COST OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION IN BAYELSA and called for the speedy intervention and rescue of all well meaning international human right institutions in the world before the situation gets out of hand.

“As we speak the ljaw people are at high risk of instalmental deaths, arising from the unmitigated and nefarious oil exploratory activities in the land.

The President also drew attention to the ongoing  divestment of dilapidated oil facilities in Ijaw land and the Niger Delta without any known plans for CLEAN UPS in accordance with international best practices.

In the same vein, he considers the present 13% and 3% Federal allocation to oil producing States and the Host Communities as meagre and therefore grossly inadequate in addressing the colossal damages inflicted on the ljaw people.

In conclusion, the President called on all international organizations to help the ljaw people from the slow deaths they are daily subjected to. This situation may be far more than the deaths in conventional wars, known to humanity.