By Godwin Haruna, 01.30.2009

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has asked the Federal Government to stop the award of new oil block, to stave off growing disquiet over oil exploration.

Making the proposal yesterday at a press conference in Lagos, Executive Director, ERA and Chairman, Friends of the Earth International, Mr Nnimmo Bassey, said  existing oil fields should continue to be exploited, but at internationally acceptable standards.

Bassey said halting new oil blocks award would not mean a major loss in revenue, because  current lowering of oil prices is also leading to production cuts.
“Leaving  oil underground does not translate to losses but savings. We must learn to save as the oil under the ground is still our oil. We must not exploit every resource simply because we have it,” he said.

Bassey said rather than exploit new oil fields with the attendant pollutions, human rights abuses and malformed political system,  oil should remain under the ground and require that every Nigerian pays $156 a year as crude oil solidarity fund, to supplement earnings from  anticipated increase in production.
Although he recognised the fact that not all Nigerians could afford to pay $156 a year, he expressed the hope that 100 million Nigerians could enthusiastically pay it, if the benefits were carefully made public.

READ MORE about the ERA proposal to leave oil underground in Nigeria on the Oilwatch website.