-Precious Ahiakwo-Ovie
A research report carried out by a women rights group, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center has identified Rivers State as a major breeding ground for land grabbing in Nigeria.
This report is contained in a Policy brief on land grabbing unveiled by the Executive Director of the women rights group, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, Emem Okon, during a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on “Policy Dialogue on Land Grabbing and Forest Degradation in South-South Nigeria”.
The report also identified areas like Eleme, Ahoada, Egiland, Egbema regions of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area as worst hit.
The Executive Director of the women rights group, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, Emem Okon said land grabbing is having an all-encompassing impact on women livelihood and the forest resource base in the state.
She called on the federal government to make laws that will ensure equitable land resources reserve across the nation to avoid livelihood disasters.
Emem Okon is also asking Rivers State government to make laws that will stop the spate of land grabbing in the state.
“From this conversation today, somebody is challenging us to begin to compare the cost of land in Banana Island Lagos, Asokoro Abuja and the cost of land in the Niger Delta region where oil and gas is being extracted, and have enriched many individual, companies, and impoverished the owners. So land grabbing is not benefiting the communities, it has displaced women from their farming activities. So what we are calling for is, there should be a reconsideration of the way land is taken away from communities, and also the sufferings of the people should be examined and measures should be adopted to alleviate the sufferings of the people,” Emem said.
On his part an Environmental Rights activist, and Programe Manager Environmental Rights Action friends of the Earth Nigeria, Ebiaridor Kentebe, accused the government of using the Land Use Act of 1978 to enable land grabbing for even the multinationals and other private individuals.
He said “Women are the most impacted when it comes to issues around the environment. Communities where lands are been grabbed. Majorities are farmers and they are denied access to their farmland and this will cause a shortage of food supply in the state. Laws should be made to strengthen and reduce how grabbing is affecting the people.”
Meanwhile the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs Uche Uriri said it is sad that women bear the major brunt of the effect of land grabbing, adding that the ministry will work with the organizers to mitigate the effects of the impact on women.
Our correspondent reports that the high point of the conference was a presentation on land grabbing cases in the state, experiences and strategies for community mobilisation against deforestation and corporate land grabs. Stake-holders who attended the events include ward counselors from ONELGA and other civil society organizations.
Comment here