…As Governor Diri Pledges to Establish Bayelsa State Recovery Agency
New York, USA – Social justice organisation, Ford Foundation, in partnership with the International Working Group (IWG) on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta, has spotlighted the devastating environmental impact of oil pollution in Bayelsa State at a global forum held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The event, themed “Make the Polluter Pay: Environmental Genocide and Just Energy Transition”, was hosted at the Ford Foundation headquarters in New York. It centred on the report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) titled: “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria.”
The Just Clean-Up IWG—comprising ODI Global (UK), Polluter Pays Project, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Social Action International—called for oil companies responsible for decades of pollution in Bayelsa and the wider Niger Delta to be held accountable. They emphasised that polluters must pay for the environmental destruction and human suffering caused by their activities.
Key speakers, including Prof. Anthony Bebbington (Ford Foundation), Dr. Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou (ODI Global), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey (HOMEF), King Bubaraye Dakolo (Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom), and other global advocates, underscored the urgency of decommissioning abandoned oil wells, addressing health impacts on local communities, and ensuring a just transition in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions.
In a special address, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling the crisis. He revealed that:
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The BSOEC report has been formally presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who directed relevant agencies to take action.
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A bill to establish the Bayelsa State Recovery Agency is currently at the committee stage in the State Legislature.
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The Recovery Agency will provide a legal framework for a dedicated Recovery Fund to mitigate the long-term impact of oil pollution.
Governor Diri stated:
“For decades, Bayelsa has supplied the oil and gas that power our nation’s economy and global energy security. Yet this has come at an incalculable cost: poisoned rivers and creeks, degraded farmlands, compromised health, and ruined livelihoods. Our people have endured and cried out in pain. Now, with purpose and partnerships, we are determined to act.”
The Governor thanked Ford Foundation, ODI Global, HOMEF, and other partners for internationalising Bayelsa’s plight and pledged to continue working with global institutions to catalyse funding, strengthen advocacy, and restore dignity to the people of Bayelsa.
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