A new alliance with fresh resolve has emerged in the Niger Delta to defend the Atlantic Ocean. Stakeholders including investors, ocean educationists, activists, and maritime reporters have agreed to act together to change the orientation of the people of the coastline areas to know that any harm to the ocean and the waters would bounce back to harm humanity when imbalance is created in the ocean.
Elschon to partner EMR
Now, as the United Nations (UN) beamed attention on challenges and threats to Oceans to mark the World Oceans Day 2022 on June 8, a leading ocean-going investor has offered partnership scheme to the Energy and Maritime Reporters (EMR) group in Port Harcourt to defend the ocean nearest to Nigeria, the Atlantic.
Emi Membere-Otaji, chairman/CEO of Elschon Nigeria Limited, shipbuilders and owners of ocean-going vessels, disclosed the package at the NUJ House in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, in his position as Special Guest of Honour at the Un event.
The investor announced an annual award as a starting point with the EMR, a specialized body in the NUJ, to the best reports concerning the ocean. He said oceans are being threatened by human activities which have caused imbalance in oceans.
The former board chairman of the West African Glass Industry (WAGI), former Special Adviser to Gov Peter Odili on Investment, as well as former commissioner of health, disclosed how he grew up in the waterfronts of Buguma in Asari-Toru local council area of Rivers State and how this influenced his life even as an adult and a maritime investor.
The gynecologist and medical investor (owner of Princess Signature; the high-tech medical destination instead of foreign hospitals, supported with Shell and CBN funding), urged maritime reporters and all journalists in the Niger Delta to beam attention to the advantages and wealth in the ocean, and to also draw attention to the challenges and threats to it.
Membere-Otaji made it clear to those in the Niger Delta and those around the water that they alone have the task of telling their story so that attention can get to marine ecosystem.
He said many bad cultural practices such as dumping refuse into the rivers that lead to the Atlantic Ocean must be turned around through effective and deliberate reporting.
He said: “About 90 per cent of global trade is by the oceans. The ocean is also home to all manner of plants and animals. There is a community of mammals under the water (oceans) and there is underwater tourism that spills foreign exchange to some islands.”
He went on: “There is energy from extractive industries going on in the oceans; largest quantities of oil are extracted in the waters and oceans. The ocean is a different world of its own with everything existing there, just as land is. “
He also said the water has its own governance structure with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and different bodies of the United Nations overseeing the oceans and seas.”
Membere-Otaji also talked about the need for balance in the ocean, warning that human activities have caused imbalance. “The body of water is connected, except the lakes that are interrupted by land. If you throw something into ordinary Nta-Nwogba creek here by your compound in Port Harcourt, it will flow through many streets in port Harcourt to Okrika, to Bonny, and into the Atlantic ocean.”
Why EMR wants to take over maritime reporting
The chairman of the EMR, Martins Giadom, in his welcome address, said Port Harcourt journalists and Maritime correspondents were now determined to lead the narrative and the coverage of the Atlantic Ocean but called for support from stakeholders. He commended the management of OIS Indorama Port Limited, Onne Port Complex, Oil and Gas Free Zone, and some other companies for the huge support to host the World Ocean Day 2022.
Giadom said the EMR is an attempt to create specialization in Journalism practice in the Niger Delta. “We sit in the hub of oil/gas industry and stand at the gateway to the Ocean through the Gulf of Guinea, yet, we hardly lead in the narrative and coverage of the two critical sectors that carry Nigeria on their shoulders. With encouragement from some top media gurus in the state, we have stepped out to take the bull by the horn.
“For us in EMR, our sub-theme is: ‘Wealth in the Ocean: A New Agenda”. We are thus using this day to rally maritime reporters and other journalists in Port Harcourt to interact with industry players so as to set an agenda for maritime sector reporting in the Niger Delta. This is another task being pursued by EMR. We have made huge impact so far since the birth of EMR. We have mounted seminars, made visits to relevant organizations, and have brought Maritime issues in this part of the country to the fore. We will continue to do so.”
He said Port Harcourt, the headquarters of the Niger Delta has the right to claim to be the centre of not only the Gulf of Guinea but that of Nigeria’s share of the Atlantic Ocean which covers 835km of coastal line from Lagos to Cross River.
The EMR chairman said the world is right to pay attention to whatever covers 71 per cent of the surface of the Earth, oceans. “The Niger Delta thus has a huge stake in what happens to the Atlantic Ocean which washes their backs and often supplies water to cover up to 96 per cent of some of space in some states.
“The Ocean also has wealth to offer, as experts may reveal today, but it appears our people are only getting the negative aspects. We welcome the Blue Economy initiative of the Federal Government through NIMASA. This is why the EMR is out to lead in the deliberation and agenda-setting duties concerning the Ocean.
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“In trying to begin this journey, we call for support from stakeholders and partners in the area of training and equipment to explore the sector and bring the positives to the people of the area. EMR is ready and primed to serve as a watchdog in the sector and help the stakeholders to cry out when they have issues.”
He thanked those that have teamed up to defend the Atlantic Ocean through concerted efforts.
Chairman, Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Stanley Jobs Stanley, lent his weight to the EMR, saying PH media must take over the reporting of the Atlantic Ocean and the environment.
Expressing satisfaction with the efforts and initiative of the EMR group of the NUJ, Stanley the effort to deepen specialization is good because energy and maritime are critical to this region.
He went on: “This is more so because pollution has ravaged this place. Throwing refuse into the river is very primitive as it is harmful because it ends in the ocean, the Atlantic Ocean which is nearest to us. Damaging the environment will harm us in this region and beyond.
“I charge the media especially the EMR to lead in this campaign. We are agenda-setters. We must remind the government and stakeholders all the time. We will not be tired of this. Economy in the ocean has been ignored. Let the EMR lead in showing the neglected wealth in Oceans. Let us help the society in this direction because we play critical roles.”
He underlined the criticality of the role of the press, saying if there is no press, there would be no democracy. “We should shout louder because we have the power and the tools. It’s our job, our profession.”
A notable journalist in the state, Ernest Chinwo, who until his appointment as General Manager of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (Publishers of The Tide), was the Bureau Chief of ThisDay as well as chairman of the Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ, said it is good that journalists in Rivers State and the Niger Delta are waking up to the task staring them in the face; coverage of the waters.
He stated: “Port Harcourt journalists need to take over coverage of maritime, oil/gas, and environment. We must say no to playing second fiddle in this area of journalism. We have not taken advantage of the environment, oil, gas sector to align our practice to this critical sector that is very huge.”
He advised the EMR to set up a powerful website on the subject matter and dig deep to unearth stories the world would jump at, saying it would be lucrative. “We should create a viable organization, open a website on this sector to feed the world. Let this conference not end here. The world is waiting for our coverage of the two subsectors, oil, gas, maritime.”
Ocean Literacy is key – Solari Inko-Tariah
Rivers-born Solari Inko-Tariah, the Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) Focal Point for Ocean Literacy in Nigeria, said journalists wishing to report the ocean needed education and training, saying her organization, Solari Skills And Entrepreneurship Development Centre (SSEDC), is spearheading Ocean literacy in Nigeria and is the implementing partner in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable (2021-2030).
Saying her firm is into international collaboration in Ocean Literacy, she quoted the UN to have raised alarm that the Ocean needs help and needs support.
She said: “We seem to be taking from the Oceans than is required. Balance is needed. The Ocean gives more than 50 per cent of the oxygen required by man. Let us be careful in exploiting and polluting the waters (Ocean).”
Saying plastics have become a huge threat to the Ocean, she quoted authorities that said there more plastics in the oceans than fish. “Understanding the influence of the ocean is key. Understand the link between the ocean and the society, the human community. Niger Delta people are yet to know the importance of the ocean.
“Ocean journalism is there but you need to acquire its literacy. The treasures in the rivers are yet to be unveiled”. She delivered the message from the UN Secretary-General to the large audience.
The ocean is near you – Fyneface, an environment activist
An environmental activist, the Executive Director of Youths and Environment Advocacy Centre (YEAC), Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said threat to the oceans is huge. He also called on those cleaning up Ogoni area (HYPREP) to take out $10m out of the $360m so far released “To prepare and provide alternative employment to those in artisanal refining to prevent re-pollution during and after the cleanup.
He said: “The Ocean is not far as we think. It is nearby. Ordinary disposal of plastics is important to the ocean because of the easy link from a gutter in Port Harcourt to the creeks to the river and to the Atlantic Ocean.”
In an earlier statement to mark the Day, Fyneface said the only planet for man to live in, the Earth, calls for collective efforts for cleaner environment in Rivers State.
He appealed to residents of Rivers State to keep their surroundings clean, promote sanitation, cleanliness and be more environmental friendly to enjoy good health and healthier atmosphere especially this era of COVID-19 pandemic and monkeypox among other diseases associated with even dirty environment.
He added that the call became necessary for a collective and transformative action with a clear realization that the environment is the sum total of man’s surroundings which determine humanity’s wellbeing or otherwise; development or retardation and the total man”.
Wike, where are the waste marshals you promised us
The Executive Director of YEAC further appealed to the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, to appoint a Commissioner for Environment to drive the State environmental services, enforce environmental laws, facilitate the city’s waste management and speedy restoration of Port Harcourt to its garden city status.
No commissioner was appointed to man the ministry in the new commissioners just appointed in the state.
Fyneface further called on the Governor to make good his promise of employing 3,000 sanitation marshals made while signing the “Dumping of Waste in Public Places (Prohibition) Bill 2020” into Law to support the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and even the newly constituted 5-Man Waste Removal Committee/Taskforce to support them in the implementation and enforcement of sanitation Laws in the State and ensure that the streets and medians are neat and free of refuse at all times.
Set aside $10m in Ogoni clean-up fund for jobs
On the Ogoni Clean Up, Fyneface called on Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP), contractors handling the Ogoni cleanup exercise, and water projects to speed-up the processes.
He said this was necessary to ensure that the best technology, global best practices, and standards were adopted in performing their statutory duties in the area.
This he said would fast-track the restoration of the Ogoni environment in a timely manner for the traditional livelihoods of the people including faming and fishing activities destroyed by decades of crude oil pollution to thrive again.
Fyneface further called on HYPREP to use the $10million budgeted in the UNEP Report on Ogoni (2011) as stated on Table 53, page 227 and serial number 10 of the Report which is currently in HYPREP coffer by virtue of the $360million communicated as so far received from Joint Venture (JV) partners to prepare and provide “Alternative Employment to those in Artisanal Refining” to prevent re-pollution during and after the cleanup”.
He submitted that “Some of the ways of providing the alternatives would include youth training for skilled participation in the Cleanup project and processes; preparing artisanal refiners in Ogoni communities for Modular Refineries; skills development and acquisition for employability in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 Project and educational scholarships within and outside the country among others”.
With the Earth like human life that has no duplicate, the Executive Director of Advocacy Centre believes that “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature” should be the hallmark of our daily lives. Thus, he called on residents of the state, Niger Delta and the country at large especially youths involved in artisanal refining activities to stop, embrace modular refineries, renewable energy, other alternative livelihood opportunities and channel their energy towards efforts that contribute to both local and global environmental sustainability actions for the sake of this “Only One Earth” that we have as humans.
