Tashikalmah Hallah and Nasidi A. Yahaya
2 July 2009
Abuja — The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to pay N1 billion to Joinkrama 1 community of Rivers State over environmental degradation caused by its operations.
The MPs who passed the resolution at the plenary said the community is a victim of an oil spill by SPDC that caused "damages to waterways, farmland, and economic trees"
The resolution which was part of a report by the Rep. CID Maduabum-led Committee on Public Petitions said we "urge Shell to negotiate with the Joinkrama community with a view to determine compensation for damages to waterways, farmland, economic trees; since the spill in question did not originate from Joinkrama community"
The recommendation also advised the government to engage independent experts to carry out an independent "impact assessment" of the damages caused by the SPDC to the environment.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International yesterday said environmental pollution in Nigeria's southern oil region, the Niger Delta, had deprived tens of millions of people of their basic rights to safe food, clean water and good health.
In a report obtained by Daily Trust, Amnesty International described the situation in the Niger Delta, home to 31 million people, as a "human rights tragedy" which had fuelled anger and conflict.
It said, "People living in the Niger Delta have to drink, cook with, and wash in polluted water; they eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins -- if they are lucky enough to still be able to find fish," said the report.
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On what basis does the House of Representa-theives determine the 1 Billion Naira compensation? Was there a hearing? Were there depositions; were there evaluations of the gravity of damage? Who would be the recipients of this Billion Naira which may end up in the private Swiss Bank accounts of the same members of the House of Representa-thieves that voted to support Emperor Yars bombing of the Niger Deltan's innocent women and children? Mr. and Mrs. Representa-thieves, we do not trust you because you never had our interest at heart but your own.