No leadership crisis in ERA/FOEN says Williams 

The Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FOEN, Barr. Chima Williams has said that there is no leadership tussle in the organisation.

Making this known while chatting with journalists in his office in Benin, Barr. Chima noted that ERA/FOEN under his watch has made tremendous progress, engaging stakeholders to proffer solutions to worrisome environmental issues.

The Executive Director hinted that the only thing in the organization is the issue of some persons not obeying court orders and respecting due process noting that an organization is bigger than any individual member no matter the position he/ she occupies there because that organization is an entity of its own that has rules guiding it’s processes.

” If you call yourself an activist or someone that wants to make a change in the society you must look inward whether you can make a change in yourself. Then you will think of the survival of an organisation that you were once proud of. Not just looking at your own personality and that is the crisis that erupted in ERA in 2020 when the then Executive Director of ERA had his appointment and membership of the organization terminated as a result of the report of an evaluation of the organization that he commissioned and paid for indicted him among other things; lack of leadership, conduct, and practices that tend to show financial impropriety, vindictiveness and lack of ideas moving the organization beyond where it was”

Barr. Chima who pointed out that the Board of the organization was also indicted for not rising to curb the excesses of the then-sacked ED explained that instead of him to take advantage of the opportunity given to him to defend himself by answering questions thrown at him he created confusion in the Board meetings who in their wisdom unanimously decided on the 3rd of October, 2020 to terminate his appointment as Executive Director and membership of ERA because he was no longer in tune with the philosophy of the organization.

While declaring that the same Board appointed himself (Barr. Chima Williams) Acting Executive Director with effect from 5th of October, 2020, Barr. Chima stated that the sacked ED organized a program on the 7th of the same month which he said was the General Assembly where in conjunction with his cronies that were in attendance purported to sack the Chairman, Board of Trustee of ERA.

” And because the Board wanted to preserve ERA resources they wrote to our bankers to hold all the accounts till we resolve our issues. He went to the court and obtained an order to lift the order placed on the accounts. He got the order without our knowledge and notice including myself the Acting ED. He got the order Nicodemusly and immediately within a week he emptied the account and before we got to know there was an order against us. He sent the letter to our parent body, Friends of the Earth International who now sent the order to us but meanwhile, we were with him here.

I was elected as one of the two African representatives at the Friends of the Earth International Executive Committee. First was that the order that he had was squashed by a Lagos High Court last year and his case at the Federal High Court, Lagos was stroke out last year for lack of diligent prosecution. He ran down to Benin to file another case at the Federal High Court. That matter came up yesterday and was adjoined for a ruling on our preliminary objection to the case.

I know the basic rudiments of the law and am not here to victimize or undo anybody. I am the Executive Director and am recognized by our parent body where I am today seated as a member of the Executive Committee of the global platform. I have had the opportunity to be singled out to represent the federation at global events. In Nigeria, am recognized by relevant government agencies and ministries. We were at the Ministry of Environment, Edo state to celebrate world environment day. I was with the Director for Waste Management and EDOSCO leadership where we sensitized Edo people on waste management and how to keep Edo State clean and if we are not on ground here we won’t be doing that. We are working with the Edo State government to review its waste management law. We are also working with Oredo, Egor, and Ikpoba Okha local government councils. We are also working with Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states, the Presidency, the National Assembly as well as international organizations”.

On his take on plastic pollution, Barr. Chima said that the dangers posed by plastic pollution can not be overemphasized pointing out that it is a man-made problem because of the manner plastics are disposed of after use.

” When plastics are dumped and it enters the drainage system it blocks it and causes flooding. They are not like some household waste that decays and form compost or manure and is used to generate electricity because of the heat that comes from them. They do not melt unless you introduce a heating process”.

He further explained the health and economic problem of plastic pollution to man and aquatic life.