PREAMBLE
Eleme Women and Youths in a Townhall meeting organized by Society for Women and Youths Affairs with support from Global Green Grant Fund gathered in Eleme in a one-day townhall meeting held on the 2nd December, 2019 at Eleme Local Government Council Hall to discuss the implementation of emergency measures recommended by UNEP in 2009. The 50 women and Youths that participated in the meeting were drawn from impacted communities in Eleme.
The objective of the meeting is to know the level of implementation of the emergency measures in affected communities in Eleme by HYPREP. The meeting also aimed at mobilizing Women and Youths to advocate for urgent implementation of the emergency measures of the UNEP Report.
The townhall meeting facilitated by Dr David Vereba deliberated extensively on the impacts of oil pollution on the people of Eleme especially in the area of health and water respectively.
The meeting gave the Women and Youths the opportunity to share their stories and experiences about the impact of pollution in their communities.
At the end of the discussion of the townhall meeting, the Women and Youths declared as follows:
1. That the people of Eleme had suffered tremendously as a result of oil pollution by the extractive sectors.
2. That the level of benzene contamination in drinking water in Eleme as reported by UNEP is unbearable
3. That the women are the most affected and are dying slowly of strange diseases
4. Government should establish specialist hospital for the diagnosis of cancer in Ogoni
5. Government should monitor and diagnose deaths and carcinogenic diseases in communities
6. That HYPREP saddled with the responsibility of remedying the situation has done little or nothing about the condition of the health of Eleme women
7. That, as a matter of urgency, the International community should prevail on HYPREP to provide Eleme people with portable drinking water without delay
8. That HYPREP, should immediately setup Medical registry and follow up the health of the people as recommended by UNEP
9. Eleme Women and Youths to Organize a peaceful and nonviolent protest with placards to register their displeasure on the unhealthy treatment melted on them by HYPREP
10. Call into radio program of HYPREP on Tuesdays 5-6pm (Rhythm 93.7) to evidently proof that they have done nothing as far as emergency measures is concerned
11. CSOs should run a counter radio program a day after HYPREP program on every Tuesday to sensitize the public
12. Hold advocacy meeting with relevant agencies and stakeholders
13. Carryout Community Sensitization.
Society for Women and Youths Affairs at the end of the meeting reaffirmed her commitment to work for communities to ensure that there is a successful implementation of UNEP report