By Igbotako Nowinta, Alltimepost.com Nigeria Bureau Chief
Ahead of the World Climate Summit, (Cop 26) in Glasgow, Scotland, a frontline Nigerian environmentalist and political ecologist, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, has called on the United States, United Kingdom and other rich countries to pay up their carbon debts to poor countries.
Environmentalists, heads of governments and stakeholders in the climate change all over the world are preparing to attend the summit.
Dr. Godwin Ojo, the Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, in an exclusive interview with Alltimepost.com in Benin, Edo State of Nigeria charged the United States, Italy, Australia, China, Spain, United Kingdom etc. to pay up their carbon debts because they are the heaviest emitters of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, he said has led to extreme weather and climate events.
“Rich countries should pay up because they contribute over 80% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere that is presently leading to catastrophic events globally.
“l expect African leaders going to Glasgow Scotland, to resolutely demand for the proponents of carbon debts, to pay up, as a result of the historical carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, as a right.
“Rich countries should provide ambitious climate finance, and other types of development assistance for developing countries. Talking about transitional justice, rich countries should meet overdue commitment to jointly mobilize $100 billion dollars a year in climate finance.
“This $100 billion annually is only a fraction of what vulnerable countries really need to decarbonize and build resilience to climate impact.”
When his view was sought about the all-important 2023 Presidential Elections, the political ecologist and human rights advocate, who has spent over three decades in the struggle said that: “Nigerians are yet to learn their lessons. Only a mad man will keep doing same thing repeatedly and be expecting different results. Neither the PDP nor the APC has answers to Nigeria problems.
“The political destiny of Nigeria is in the hands of Nigerians. We need a leader, and followers to redirect the moral compass and values. Nigerians should seek after God fearing and people-centered leaders.
“We need a leader come 2023 that will understand and promote social and human capital of the citizens; that will help to reduce social inequalities in Nigeria, which is one of the highest in the world. “We want leaders that will listen to the people demand for restructuring, fiscal federalism, devolution of powers from the centre to the states or region.”
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, (ERA) is a leading Non-Governmental Organization in Nigeria, which Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo Co-founded in 1993.
Dr. Ojo was equally of the opinion that Nigeria needs to make the commitment of energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, which he has been campaigning for since the 1990s, on the need to ‘leave the oil in the soil.’
His words: “lt is an irony that Nigeria is still prospecting for oil and gas in the Chad basin while professing to be addressing Climate Change.”
The ERA Executive Director’s knowledge of politics in ecological discourse and wealth of experience on global environmental issues, combined to inform his advocacy and policy engagement with policy makers, on the need for concrete environmental laws and enforcement, environmental emergency and recovery for Nigeria.
