By Tejiri Ebikeme
The Board of Trustees and Management of Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ has invited the Governor of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, His Excellency Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio (CON) to deliver a key note address and the Director General of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Sir Peter Idabor to present a paper titled, “The Effect of Pipeline Vandalism and Crude Oil Spillage on the Environment” at the Peace and Environment Conference, Tagged Ghana 2014, billed for the 6th and 7th November, 2014 at the Conference Auditorium, Koffi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), Accra, Republic of Ghana.
Besides, the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of Ghana, Mr. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, will present the lead paper, titled, ‘’Corporate Social Responsibility in Building Sustainable Environment’’.
The key note address and papers to be presented will help to address challenges that may confront oil and gas prospecting/producing countries in Africa; using Nigeria as a case study, especially Akwa Ibom state.
The various papers lined up for presentation will go a long way in helping the Ghanaian Government and multinational oil companies operating in the country to manage future challenges on the effects of oil exploitation on its environment.
The wealth of experiences of Governor Akpabio in managing conflicts among the people of Akwa Ibom State and multinational oil companies operating in the state made Akwa Ibom, one of the most peaceful states during the Niger Delta crises and also the involvement of Sir Peter Idabor in managing oil spill in the Niger Delta will benefit the Ghanaian government and its people in handling any conflict that may arise in future.
This conference will chart a way forward towards redeeming the environment through the presentation of well-researched papers on environmental best practices in contemporary world by renowned scholars and administrators in Africa.
