Bayelsa Governor Seeks International Intervention on Environmental Justice

Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has taken his campaign for environmental justice to the international stage, seeking the intervention of the Commonwealth in addressing the devastating impact of oil pollution on communities in his state and the Niger Delta region.

During a meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, at the organization’s secretariat in London, Governor Diri presented a report titled “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Humanitarian and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria.”

The report, launched in May 2023 at the House of Lords, highlights the catastrophic environmental degradation caused by decades of oil exploration in Bayelsa.

Governor Diri expressed concerns about international oil companies, including Shell, divesting from the region without adequate plans for remediation and compensation.

He appealed to the Commonwealth to support efforts to address environmental injustice and promote best practices in oil and gas exploration.

The governor emphasized the need for collaboration to address the environmental challenges facing Bayelsa, stating, “The Commonwealth’s dedication to environmental protection is crucial, and we are eager to collaborate in addressing these pressing issues together.”

Lord Sentamu, Dr. Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, and King Bubaraye Dakolo, members of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, also urged the Commonwealth to take action to halt the “environmental genocide” in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta.

In response, Baroness Scotland thanked the governor and his delegation for the visit and the report, promising that a team would examine the report and provide recommendations to guide all parties concerned.