I was up quite late last night reading Paddy Adenuga’s beautiful write up theafricaarchive.com/2018/01/29/a-l… .But while so many have dwelt on the “inspirational” aspect of the write up, there is an instructive little portion that a lot must have glossed over.
This aforementioned portion is neatly tucked in between layers of his “inspirational” story and it is understandable why it can easily be missed. However, l took the liberty to screen shot it.
Apparently, the Dutch govt practically enforces, on players in the oil and gas sector, an environmental management strategy that ensures a high level of sustainable development. And this is sacrosanct.
Nigeria, just like the Netherlands, is blessed with oil and gas resources. But that is where the commonality ends.
The oil rich Niger Delta region is unarguably the one place in the entire world with the most devasting environmental degradation. Ironically, Royal Dutch Shell; a company headquartered in the same Netherlands, is the biggest culprit in this environmental devastation.
Juxtaposed against the initiative and vision of the Dutch govt therefore, it is obvious that successive govts in Nigeria have been completely visionless and totally useless in terms of the protection of our environment.
A perusal of our environmental laws is indicative of this uselessness and a complete lack of visionary leadership. It is the reason why Nigeria is still grappling with the Ogoni clean up and gas flaring.
This lack of visionary leadership is the same reason why fishes don’t survive in rivers, and cash crops have stopped growing in farmlands.
It is a consequence of this lack of visionary leadership that the Ogonis continue to die from diseases occasioned by shocking levels of hydrocarbons in their drinking water.
This lack of visionary leadership is why Nigeria is nothing short of a shithole. And it is sad. Very sad!
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