­­Experts want social rights protection in EIA Act

Experts have called for the inclusion of social and human rights mechanisms in the attempt to review the environmental impact assessment, EIA Act.

They maintained that lack of the components in the Act has served as a catalyst for crises in the solid mineral areas has recorded recently in Zamfara State.

National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay Nigeria, Peter Egbule, Who spoke during a workshop in Abuja stated that with the EIA Act currently undergoing amendment, it offers a window of opportunity to get it right.

He urged the lawmakers to work together and set aside personal, sectional and group interests to integrate community voices, inclusion of all concerned in the design and implementation of EIA and biodiversity audits.

According to him, companies especially the multi national oil firms, should involve host communities in oil and gas management impacts in the area and made to be part of policy making process.

“The issue of Ogoni clean up is a global one, and government has stepped in to intervene and remediate the land, and we hope in no distance time they would move a step forward in the project.”

Also, the project coordinator of the group, Taiwo Otitolaye, argued that governments, communities, international oil companies should create conducive environment for dialogues and continuous interface.

He stressed that biodiversity audits should be carried out every two years in a participatory manner, while government at all levels involve the people in decision and implementation.

“Sometimes, foreign firms do not embark on EIA to favour host communities, and in some cases, critical partners are not carried along to deepen and strengthen the citizens’ rights in the country.”

Contributing, another environmentalist, Tolase Olatinwo submitted that communities should be part of environmental impacts assessments, in terms of project design; implementation while government at all levels should take decisions in the aspects.

On his part, the Consultant, Chima Williams, said they would to look beyond physical, but integrate the social and human rights, which are lacking in the present EIA, and see how to include it, in the review Act.