Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri, has demanded reparations and an extensive environmental cleanup to address decades of ecological devastation caused by crude oil exploration in the State.

Speaking to journalists at the State House, Abuja, after a meeting between Bayelsa’s political and traditional leaders and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Diri highlighted the severe environmental and health crises facing his state due to unchecked oil activities.

The Bayelsa leaders said they were paying a thank you visit on the President for the appointment of one of their daughters, Mrs. Didi Lawson-Jack, as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, among other important appointments from the state.

Diri, who presented the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission Report to Tinubu during the meeting, pointed to the extensive damage in the state’s rivers and rural areas, where oil pollution has permeated the waterways, damaging the ecosystems and local economies.

The Governor also raised concerns over the alarming rise in cancer cases and other unusual illnesses among Bayelsa’s residents, linking these health crises to prolonged oil pollution.

The report he referenced traces these health issues directly to the oil industry’s operations, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive response.

He stressed that the livelihoods of Bayelsa residents, many of whom rely on fishing and farming, have been devastated by widespread pollution.

Diri urged the Federal Government to prioritise environmental restoration, similar to ongoing efforts in Ogoniland through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

Diri noted that oil companies must assume responsibility for the damage, regardless of whether it was caused by equipment failure or acts of sabotage, pointing out that international laws hold companies accountable for pollution resulting from their facilities and equipment.

“Well, the report is there. If you’re asking for the recommendations, they are not just one. They are not two. But what is more important there is the issue of our environment and in that recommendation, they are talking about the clean-up, you know about the Ogoni situation, and HYPREP, and our environment is totally gone.

“If you go into the rivers and the rooflets of Bayelsa state, you will be perceiving oil, economic activities of our people have been grounded, and up until today, you still have oil pollution all over the state.

“So the number one thing is, first of all, restore the environment, clean up the environment, and of course, you have to pay reparations, and those who have caused these damage, most times they say, Oh, it is as a result of sabotage.

“But international law doesn’t recognize sabotage. You own those facilities and equipment, whether the oil spillages were as a result of sabotage or ageing equipment, which is most times the case, equipment failures, reparations have to be paid.

“As I speak with you today, issues about cancer are now almost like a normal thing in Bayelsa state, and this report has traced it to the activities of the oil companies, oil exploration and all other types of very bizarre types of sicknesses that were not hitherto known to the people of Bayelsa”, he said