allAfrica.com: Nigeria: At Eket, Writers Chart New Course for Environmental Writing (Page 1 of 2)

THE unprintable havoc cum natural injustice that have been meted out to the people of the Niger-Delta region owing to many years of oil exploration and refining activities by the various oil companies operating in the oil-rich region, cannot be quantified today considering the poor level of development that has taken place in the area.

Indeed, to many watchers of development in the region, ever since that evil exploration of oil commenced in the area, the people of Niger-Delta have been indiscriminately exposed to hardship, marginalisation and consequently, have become oppressed by the successive administrations in the country.

Apparently, with the continuous depletion of its natural environment and the inevitable exposure of the people to dangers associated with pollution, the resultant effect of society's insensitivity to the plight of the people of the Niger-Delta has become incessant youth restiveness, hostage-taking and militancy amongst other instigated vices.

Today, what has become the fate of these people whose tradition, culture and language are totally tied around the fate of their environment is better imagined.

Given this deplorable situation, however, while several attempts made in the past to alleviate the sufferings of the people proved abortive, it is on record today that a couple of Nigerian writers have used their works to comment on the heart-rending issues of environmental degradation, racism and social injustice that now appear prevalent in the region.

Even at that, the malevolent abuses on the people's environment has continued unabated even till date. One recalls such aborted struggles by the likes of the hanged environmental activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Isaac Boro of blessed memory to liberate the Niger-Delta people from the shackles of oppression and enslavement by the Nigerian state.

Not to be forgotten equally are the memorable poetic lines of Gabriel Okara as the octogenarian poet uses his works to recapture the age of innocence of the region and J.P Clark's radical condemnation of the gross injustice that has been done to the people of the area through his works.

Recently, United States-based Nigerian writer, Tanure Ojaide, returned to the status-quo when his work, The Activist, made a fresh case against environmental degradation in the Niger-Delta.

The work, which many described as "a forceful tool" to tackle the heart-rending issues of environmental degradation, racism and injustice herald the emergence of other aggressive writers of this age who have engaged the means of the written word to advance the mental fight against the dying state of the people's ecosystem.

Other important writers are; Nnimmo Bassey, the President of Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and poet, whose provocative collection, We Thought it was Oil but it was Blood, captures the sad stories of the Niger- Delta people and their ecosystem, and of course, the youthful Albert Otto, who fearlessly takes a swipe at the state of the environment, especially its situation and benefits to humanity in his Letter from the Earth, a collection of poems.

Besides, other emerging writers have continued relentlessly to champion the cause of using the different genres of literature to address the issues of environmental degradation in the Niger- Delta.

Only last year, the Association of Nigerian Authors(ANA) rose to the challenge by organising the first ever National Workshop on Literature and Environment as a way of encouraging writers to explore the issues of environmental degradation in their writings.

The maiden edition of the workshop held in Lagos was exceptional and educative as it afforded the participants rare opportunity to sharpen the edges of their crafts in writing on the environment.

However, as a follow up to the previous edition, the association penultimate week, held a similar workshop in Eket, Akwa Ibom State to further reiterate its commitment to promoting environmental writing in the country.

But surprisingly, the workshop designed to provide a platform where stakeholders in the oil industry can come together and interact on issues involving environmental protection and conservation, had only the writers in attendance.

Apart from one Mr. Valentine Agbaka, who represented Mrs Rose Umoren, the Public Affairs Manager, Exxon Mobil Plc, the sponsors of the workshop, no other oil company sent a representative to the two-day forum.

But in spite their absence, the forum which held at the Impact Guest House, Eket between Friday March 28th and 29th, was a near-success. Only about seventeen writers drawn from different parts of the country, and whose previous writings demonstrate serious concern for the environment, were in attendance.

Like the previous edition, the workshop afforded the participants, particularly those from Niger State, Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Cross River, Enugu and the host state, Akwa Ibom an opportunity to appreciate how much creative writing can be used to advocate the need for environment-friendly society.

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