Women in Gelegele Community in Local Government of Edo State have cried out to the state government for help as a research on the health impacts of gas flaring in the lives of women in the community.
The participatory research carried out thee by a non-governmental organization, Gwedo revealed that gas flaring in the center of the community has adversely affected the environment, livelihood and health of the people especially, the women and children.
According to the report, residents of Gelegele Community are suffering from various health issues including, respiratory problems, rashes, deafness, multiple cases of rheumatism, arthritis, eye pain, convulsion in children, prostate cancer in young men, early menopause in women and stomach pains arising from the gas flare, oil and water pollution.
Residue from the gas flare defaces and destroys their roofs and water sources while the vibrations from the gas plant shakes building foundations and the people as well.
One of the respondents in the research stated: “Women are going gray before the age of 50 from heat. People suffer from rashes, headache, deafness, eye problems, joint pains, stomach pain in Gelegele.
“The ground shakes the foundation of our houses. As you are seeing me, am shaking. Our soil is no longer producing, cassava rots in the ground. Women are struggling very hard to produce food.”.
Another clearly battling with a combination of the identified health issues in the community, said; “I am sick. I was not feeling all these types of sickness until I came to Gelegele. When come to Gelegele since three years now, I no de feel fine because of this gas flare.
“Now, as I de sef, I no fit talk. If I talk, the go de pain me seriously and my back pain, all de body de pain me. Mai eyes, everywhere naim de pain me because of the gas flare. Me as a woman, I marry here, I no go another place; no place to go again. I just remain here.
“So na di gas flare naim de bring all types of sickness to this Gelegele Community. At the age of 25-26 years, dem de sick rheumatism and arthritis, naim bi wetin we dey face for this community and na di gas flare de causam”, she added.
To compound the women’s plight, although there is a health center in the community, it has neither doctor nor nurses and lacks basic facilities for addressing these ailments. The people are then forced to travel as far as the state capital, Benin City to access healthcare, a luxury many cannot afford.
Executive director of GWEDO, Comrade Cynthia Bright calld on the oil company operating in Gelegele community, Dubril Oil to address the gas flaring in the midst of the people as it is gradually killing them.
She called for government intervention to revitalize the hospital and non-functional water facilities in the oil rich but amenities poor community to help cushion the harsh conditions being faced there. ‘
