Rights Group Raises Alarm Over Environmental Disaster In Edo

The Environmental Rights Action (ERA)/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (FoEN), has raised the alarm on the imminent conflicts associated with the continous degradation of bio-diversity and natural resources in Edo state.

It urged Okomu oil palm company to take responsibility for the public tragedy caused by land grabbing, leading to the lost of other means of livelihoods in rural Communities of Ovia North East, Ovia South West, and Owan West Local Government areas of the state.

The Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo disclosed this while summing up delibrations on Tuesday at a One-Day training Workshop on RSPO certification tagged: “False solution to large scale oil palm plantations” in Benin City, Edo state Capital.

Recall that Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki had few months ago ceded over 60, 000 hecatares of farmland to Okomu oil palm Plc which the people of Odiguetue, Iguobazuwa, Oke, Sabo, Sobe and other Communities in Ovia South West and Owan West Local Government Areas of the state, had claimed ownership of.

Speaking further, Dr. Ojo, noted that the so-called round table on RSPO which the multinational “company parade has no binding force because it only exist in principle not in practice”.

He said the continued silence of the state governor, Godwin Obaseki over land has not only damaged the already limited trust in the state government, but risk hurting trust of the indegenous people who gave him his mandate to lead them.

He further said the Rights group have “reviewed the activities of Okomu oil company and we all agree that the round table sustainable palm oil certification is a false solution because it does not address environmental and social problems in the Communities.

He described the state government action for failing to protect the rights of the affected farmers all in a bid to creating employment as unacceptable.

According to him, “We one more call on the Edo state government that there is risk conflict briefing, we raise a conflict alert with the hope that the government will respond speadily to defend the rights of Communities.

“No deforestation principle, yet the are deforesting, no fire, but fire is raging in the heart of the forest. No development can compet with these challenges. There is no reduction of green house gases. Respect for human and labour rights have been violated. 

“In the name of generating employment, bringing herdsmen to do planting for two weeks and then leaving them to settle in the hest if the forest and then we are left with kidnappings and increase violent crimes in these vanities.

“We one more call on the Edo state government that there is risk conflict briefing, we raise a conflict alert with the hope that the government will respond speadily to defend the rights of Communities.

“…From testimonies and reports, people are now acquiring and borrowing land for farmland in their own Communities leading to high rise in food prices. This is not something that should be tolerated in Edo state”, he said.