Akwa lbom Oil Producing Community Development Network (AKIPCON), a socio-economic Non-Governmental Organization spearheading the struggle for the realization of compensation, environmental and human rights of the people arising from decades of oil exploitation in Akwa Ibom state, has constituted a nineteen member State Executive Council as well as local government chapter leaders to pilot the affairs of the Organization for the next three years.
In a release jointly signed by the Founders, Chairman Board of Trustees who are also President General, member BOT and Chair Person Council for Women Affairs, Apostle Ufot A. Phenson and Pst (Mrs) Veronica U. Phenson respectively and the Co-Founder and Secretary General, Evang. Emmanuel Bassey, and made available to newsmen noted that the appointment of people into the forefront of the NGO was inevitable.
They revealed that the appointment will further consolidate and boost AKIPCON’s ongoing struggle for social justice, clean and sustainable environment, human rights and secured means of livelihood of the people of Akwa Ibom State in particular and Niger Delta Region in general.
“It will create room for effective strategizing and mobilizing of Akwa Ibom people towards the realization of their rights from oil and gas companies.
“These being the cardinal objectives of the Organization are enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, African Charter on Human and people’s Rights, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention of Economic, Social, Civil, and Political Rights on Discrimination against people.
Dr. Phenson thanked the outgoing State Executive members for their invaluable services and contributions towards the realization of the objectives of the organization.
He urged the newly constituted excutives to take their job seriously.
The President General re-counted some achievements recorded by the NGO in the past years and listed the harmful economic activities of oil companies to include, environmental pollution and land degradation caused by the unprecedented oil spills and continuous gas flaring, toxic waste dumping, poisoning of the waters, destruction of vegetation and agricultural land by oil spills which occur during petroleum operations.
AKIPCON boss urged oil & gas companies operating in the Niger Delta region to embrace the window of peace created by NHRC through the setting up of an investigation panel on oil spillages, environmental pollution and Human Rights implications in pursuant to Section 5 & 6 of the National Human Rights Commission Act of 1995, as amended. This timely action will serve as a panacea to Niger Delta crisis.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General, Evang. Emmanuel Bassey, observed that gas flaring releases a substantial amount of toxins which are the main source of acid rain, stating that the effect of acid rain in the Niger Delta is demonstrated by the rusting of iron sheets and destruction of the ecosystem.
