Prof. Sunny Awhefeada, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, has called for accelerated awareness of the dangers associated with gas flaring in the country.
Awhefeada made the call on Wednesday during the unveiling of a book on gas flaring in Ughelli.
The book titled ‘Flames of Injustice: Health and Environmental Costs of Gas Flaring in Ughelli North LGA’ was unveiled by the Ejiro and Otive Igbuzor Foundation.
Awhefeada, while reviewing the three-chapter book, said that the book proffered solutions to the health and environmental impacts associated with gas flaring. According to him, the book x-rayed the dishonesty of some male community elders during engagements on the flaring.
The book reviewer noted that women and youths were more sincere in expressing their opinions on the devastating realities of the decades-long flaring.
The professor of English and Literary Studies observed that some local leaders benefited from the system and therefore feel reluctant to speak the truth about the consequences of the scourge.
He lamented the massive knowledge gap on environmental issues in the host communities, noting that the book would address some of the gaps.
“Meaningful change requires engaging politicians with facts, research and sustained advocacy. There is an element of political will which will come from persuasion and knowledge with which you are armed. So, there is a need to catch them young through environmental clubs in schools as well as integrating environmental studies into school curricula as a compulsory subject,” he said.
Awhefeada described the struggle against gas flaring as a movement whose time had come.
He, however, said that the movement must go beyond rhetoric to practical action, continuous enlightenment, and sustained pressure on policymakers to protect the environment and the livelihoods of Niger Delta communities.
In his remarks, the foundation’s executive director, Mr Monday Osasah, described the book as a groundbreaking research product that highlighted the devastating impact of gas flaring in Ughelli North.
Osasah noted that gas flaring had far-reaching consequences, ranging from acid rain destroying crops and infrastructure to severe health problems caused by air pollution.
“The research not only documents the scale of the problem but also provides policy recommendations and practical strategies to mitigate its impacts,” he said.
Osasah said that beyond examining the scope of gas flaring in Ughelli North, the book also proffered solutions to the environmental and health challenges, as well as the urgent need for government and industry to act.
He called for vigilance and urged stakeholders to leverage the insights in the book to advocate for policies that would protect the environment, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of communities affected by oil exploration.
