Nnimmo Bassey
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this gathering
marking the 20th anniversary of the Environmental Rights Action (ERA),
which is also the Nigerian chapter of Friends of the Earth
International. ERA is also the host of Oilwatch International – the
global South’s resistance network to reckless exploitation of fossil
fuels.
ERA began life as a project of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO)
around 1990. It began its early years while I was a member of its Board
(1993-1999). It became an independent organisation when it became
impossible for it to operate in the world of environmental networks
while being anchored in the human rights community. The environment out
of which it was born gave ERA the unique platform and character that
forcefully pushed the fact that environmental rights are even more
holistic than human rights because humans are merely a part of the
environment and even though their rights are considered predominant this
does not mean that theirs are necessarily superior to other beings or
to nature herself.
For twenty years, ERA has been powered by key principles among which are the following:
· That every African has a right to a safe and satisfactory
environment favourable to his/her development as captured in Article 24
of the African Charter of Peoples and Human Rights.
· That human rights are also well defended when ecosystems are respected.
· That the promotion of environmentally responsible
governmental, commercial, community and individual practices is best
attained through the empowerment of local people.
· That local people have the right and knowledge to control local resources
· Pro-environment policy changes are best worked for though non-violent resistance.
We stayed on course over the years and especially during the
difficult days when Nigeria was under military dictatorship because we
had dedicated ERA people and because we had an unambiguous philosophical
compass that ensured we did not drift. Today I look back with
satisfaction that ERA people, whether in or outside ERA, have stayed the
course.
Over these years, we have suffered persecution, faced afflictions and
enjoyed triumphs. Our triumph has been that our work with communities
impacted by deforestation, land grabs, oil spills, gas flares and
pollutions of all types has succeeded because the people have resolutely
stood against the pushers of these harmful practices.
We have stayed the course because we view every scene of environmental
harm inflicted by the agency of man as a crime scene. Although we
sometimes resort to civil actions as a measure of resistance we note
that these are not sufficient to stem environmental crimes. To stop
those who reap profits from environmental damage laws governing those
activities ought to be urgently upgraded to make it possible for
criminal charges with long jail terms to be pressed against individual
criminals and those who hide behind corporate shields. Ecocide would be
an appropriate umbrella law to confront the massive lawlessness that run
rampant across Nigeria and many nations of the world today.
Today I look back across twenty short years of momentous changes. I am
happy that the four persons (Oronto Douglas, Nick Ashton Jones, Godwin
Ojo and I) who brought this group to be are still engaged in the defence
of Mother Earth in one way or the way. I remember our days of
challenging harmful big dams in Northern Nigeria, massive logging in
forests in many of our Southern States. I remember our struggles against
oil spills and gas flares. I remember our battles against wholesale
destruction of communities by government to pave the way for corporate
claws to sink deeper into our lands.
We have fought steadily against the wasting of our environment and
livelihoods by the petroleum sector. The world’s addiction to
carbon-high life has elevated dirty oil companies to the level of the
gods. Easy oil has now given way to tough oil. The scraping of the
bottom of the barrel has thrown up dangerous extractive methods and
spewing ever more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and sentencing
the world to climate catastrophe. And while global leaders would not
commit to provide funds for adaptation and resilience building,
multiples of what is needed is being expended on wars fought for profit
at the expense disposable lives – sometimes in the name of exporting
democracy. In the era of peak oil it appears we have passed over peak
democracy without attaining democracy in the first place.
Today I call upon all of us to tell the emperor that he is naked, to
tell the promoters of neoliberalism that they are running (at one spot)
on empty tanks! Let us shout it out loud: it is time to leave the oil
in the soil; from Yasuni to Ogoni, to Kaiso in the Rift Valley to
Lofoten in Norway. And if Nigeria is serious about fighting global
warming gas flaring must be stopped immediately. Shutting down oil
production in order to tackle the gas flaring problem makes economic
sense if we consider the implications of catastrophic global warming.
And of course the government must halt oil theft, halt the regime of
unaccounted for oil through lack of metering. Do I need to add that
delays in cleaning up Ogoni land and other polluted parts of Nigeria is
an unacceptable disregard for the right to life and to a safe
environment of the peoples.
Today, while celebrating our 20 years of marching on for environmental
rights, I remember individuals and communities who have greatly inspired
me as a person. Ken Saro-Wiwa, executed by the State on false charges
on 10 November 1995. I remember the peoples of Umeuchem, Bakalori, Odi,
Odioma, Ilaje, Gbaramatu and others. I salute the mentoring I continue
to receive from our foremost community activist, Comrade Che Ibegwura
who, at over 80 years, keeps trudging on the path of environmental
justice. I salute Sister Majella Macarron, a Catholic nun from Ireland
whose gift of books in those early days helped to frame our work. I
salute my colleagues in ERA. I salute my wife and family for unstinting
support over the years. I salute all our comrades across Africa and
across the continents of the world. Your presence here today is of great
significance to me and to us.
As we look back, we also look forward. Twenty years have passed. Twenty
more will come. And much more still. The road is long and the runners
will be many. The baton must be passed on. And so, while remaining in
the trench with the foot soldiers, it gives me great pleasure to hand
that baton to my brother and comrade, Godwin Ojo. And I thank you for
marking this day with us.
Nnimmo Bassey gave this speech in his capacity as the Executive
Director, ERA/FoEN (1993-2013) at event to mark the 20th Anniversary of
ERA.
Saharareporters
A
former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Col. Ahmadu Ali
(retd.) has come under fire from the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural
organisation, Afenifere, who has described him as uncouth, ill-mannered
and foul-mouthed.
