Artisanal fishermen operating in the Atlantic coastline of Akwa Ibom have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the outstanding oil spill compensation at the Qua Iboe oil fields.
Rev Samuel Ayadi, Chairman, Akwa Ibom Chapter of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN) made the call in an interview in Eket , Southern Akwa Ibom on Tuesday.
He stated that the fishermen had a consolidated compensation claims from the Qua Iboe Oil fields operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from year 2000 to 2010 pending at the Presidency.
According to Ayadi, the immediate past administration had mediated between the oil firm and impacted communities but regretted that the fund was yet to get to the Artisan Fishermen and other fishing communities in Akwa Ibom.
“We have suffered untold hardship over the non-payment of the consolidated claims, a development that had crippled fishing activities and reduced fish supply.
“We learnt that the Presidency in the immediate past administration stepped into the matter and received some funds to settle the victims but unfortunately the fund was not handed over before they left office.
“We appeal to the President in line with his change agenda to authorize the release of the funds to pay us our claims.
“We have unshaken confidence in the fatherly disposition of the President who belongs to everybody to champion the course of the down-trodden people in search for justice.
“ We have not been able to get out of the problems caused by incessant oil spills as more than 7,000 of our members were impacted by the spills, our members lost fishing gear and accessories over the period,” Ayadi said.
The Chairman said that a lot of his members have been thrown out of business following frequent spills which wiped out generations of fish from the waters adding that the spills explain why the Bonga fish is almost extinct and scarce in the market.
Ayadi observed that the policy to diversify the Nigerian economy advocated by the federal government to revamp the Agricultural sector was a step in the right direction.
He said the fishing subsector when revamped will meet domestic fish demand and save scarce foreign exchange hitherto spent on fish imports.
He explained that the artisanal fishing required the protection of government to enable the fishermen to provide fish which remains the cheapest source of protein to guarantee food security in the country.
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