The Editor,

Permit a place to contribute to current national debate via your enviable news online.

It is chilling to know that Nigerian government that demands an EIA report for projects to be carried out by the private sector would want to carry out a huge project as dredging the River Niger and it tributaries without and EIA. It is also shameful and displays clearly a lacking in knowledge and exposure to the people who fill that it is alright to go ahead and that If it is possible the government should relocate the people of the Niger Delta. If it was possible to relocate a people, there would not be conflicts around the world about land ownership. Today, Israel is facing so much pressure from the Arab world because of relocation of a people. What most people who support the government foolish approach, have not bothered to ask whose land will the federal Govt. give to the Niger Deltans? Will the Government also import the rivers and swamps down to the north to ensure that the livelihood of the Niger Deltans is sustained?

I advise some Nigerian commentators to read up on what sustainable development means rather than blabbing foolishly in public.

Every reasonable government will carry out EIA for any project of such magnitude because history has shown that projects though intended to help the general can cause untold and generational problems to a few. For instance, all the dams built in china and India have led to families and large communities being banish to poverty for generations. Bangladeshi is suffering from the impact of the River damming. In Zambia, the dams built along the River Zambezi cause untold impoundment leading to loss of livelihoods to severally communities.

In the USA, UK and other European countries, building a small industry, or warehouse or more so building a large development requires some level of environmental assessment to ensure that potential negative impacts are mitigated and then the project can go ahead. Even, in Nigeria, I am aware that the Rivers state environmental protection agency has insisted on an EIA for the SPDC integrated waste management facility which is currently on hold due to fear of the impact.

So, EIA can only lead to positive development and I wonder why commentator here, particularly Peters O. peter is concerned that the IYC has demanded what is legitimate for the Ijaw people and other NIger Deltans.

Lewis Ekiyor

London, UK

+44-7960353986