By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has restated need for preservation of the country rivers, creeks and oceans.
HOMEF Director, Nnimmo Bassey stated this in his keynote address at the official inauguration of River Ethiope Basin institute at the Delta State University, Abraka.
According to Bassey, to make this happen, all those interacting with and utilizing our water bodies must do so with respect and place the wellbeing of the rivers and dependent communities before profit.
“The call to preserve our water bodies is a responsibility for all of us. If we fail to protect and preserve our rivers we will continue to have situations where fishers go fishing all day and return with nothing or where coastal communities depend on imported frozen fish for nutrition. Bassey decried the massive levels of pollution in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as rampant sea piracy in the region.
He stated that “those who pollute the rivers and water bodies should be held accountable to ensure that our rivers do not continue to be treated as dump sites.”
Bassey applauded the management of Delta State University and the leadership of River Ethiope Trust Foundation on the their partnership to establish the River Ethiope Basin Institute. The river is one of the cleanest in the region and stands out as an example of what our water bodies were like before the arrival of the oil industry and their polluting activities.
Chief Charles Majeroh a foremost Nigerian architect and community member during his goodwill message noted that “the only way to preserve the River Ethiope is to ensure that human waste are not deposited into our rivers and also ensure that there is minimal dredging of the river to enable it breath freely.” He also urged all business owners around the River Ethiope area to be more intentional in the protection of the water front.
Director HOMEF, further tasked that those in academics should listen more to community elders and help pass the knowledge learned to the younger generation. “A drop of oil can contaminate 25 litres of water. Imagine the extent of pollution in our rivers and ocean by the millions of barrels of oil that has been dumped into them over 63 years of reckless oil activities.”
On his part, the executive director of River Ethiope Trust Foundation, Urikefe Dafe, stated that the River Ethiope Basin Institute will be a platform for research into the river and also be a launchpad for the sharing of knowledge and the fight for the recognition of the rights of the river.
