The Health of Mother Earth Foundation and other environment-focused civil society organisations have called for urgent action to check renewed pollution incidents in the Ogoni area of Rivers.

HOMEF made the call in a statement on Friday.

The executive director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, in particular, called for swift action to plug leakages, remediate the land, and conduct health audits on affected communities, especially following the recent crude oil spill in B-Dere community.

”We are in a disaster zone and further disasters can erupt from even an accidental spark of fire. The old wells should be shut down, and decommissioned.

”We call on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and other relevant authorities to move into swift action to stem the unfolding ecological and human crises,” he said.

Also, Celestine Akpobari, an environmental activist, said the situation was becoming more volatile with spills of this nature.

He said a recent pipeline explosion in the B-Dere community triggered a crude oil spill.

Mr Akpobari called for decommissioning aged oil infrastructure, replacing lost livelihoods, and securing justice for the people of Ogoni. 

(NAN)