Nnimo Bassey removed as Trustee and Board Chairman of ERA/FOEN

 

An environmental activist, Dr Nnimo Bassey has been removed as Trustee and Chairman of the Board, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FOEN).

 

The removal of Mr Nnimo Bassey as Trustee and Chairman of the Board is contained in a resolution issued at the end of the General Assembly of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth of Nigeria (ERA/FOEN), Community Forest Watch Communities and its allies, as well as affiliate coalition members which held in Benin City, Edo State.

 

Reading the resolution, a member of a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Foundation for Good Governance and Social Justice, Mr Christopher Ojeikhere observed that the General Assembly reach the decision after taking into cognizance the lingering crisis among the Trustees and Management Team of ERA/FoEN.

 

The resolution identified the main cause of the crisis as the conflict of interest by Nnimo Bassey’s leadership style, remaining in control and direct involvement in the day to day management of the organization which is primarily the role of the executive council headed by the current Executive Director, Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo.

 

The resolution of the Assembly also directs the immediate shut down of ERA/FoEN offices in Lagos and Abuja under the control of Nnimo Bassey, former Executive of the organization until further directive from Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo, the current Executive Director of ERA/FoEN.

The General Assembly reaffirmed the position of Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo as the Executive Director of ERA/FoEN and also passed a vote of confidence on him as a leading environmental and human rights advocate, Community and grassroots mobilizer and urged him not to be detracted by anyone in the discharge of his duties.

 

Going by the provisions of section 834 subsections 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, the General Assembly vetted and approved the nomination of the following persons as trustees of Environmental Rights Development Foundation: Chief Saint Emma Pii (Chairman), Godwin Uyi Ojo (Secretary), Mike Karikpo (Member) and Jennifer Ero (Member).

 

The Assembly in its resolution further noted that Chima Williams who is himself as Acting Executive Director of ERA be subjected to disciplinary actions within the ambit of the law.

 

It urged members of the public to note that Chima Williams is not the Executive Director of ERA and as such no one should transact business with him.

 

In another development, the General Assembly of ERA/FoEN commended the resolution of the leadership of Senate over the recent commitment to breaking the nearly 20 year’s jinx that has bedevilled the Petroleum Industry Bill currently before the National Assembly.

 

It however condemned in strong terms the recent hike in fuel pump price, increase in electricity tariff and Value Added Tax (VAT) all of which have resulted in increasing food prices, increase in transportation fares and other commodities.

 

It also expressed concern about the state of environmental degradation in Nigeria, the slow pace of work in the clean-up of Ogoniland by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYREP) and the non-clean-up of the entire Niger Delta.

 

The forum stressed the relevance of energy transition to weaning Nigeria’s economy from oil-dependence to a post-petroleum economy to address climate change and usher in a new model of energy democracy through solar/renewable energy technology.