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Whenever the history of the struggle for
environmental sanity in the Niger Delta
shall be written, Nnimmo Bassey's name
is certain to be one of those etched in
gold. For a life of sacrifice, for
making so much difference in the lives
of the oppressed majority through an
activism career perched against all
odds.
But then, journalism, a vocation
famously reputed for writing history in
a hurry, has no patience for history's
slow scribbling quill.
And so it was that our own Nnimmo Bassey,
Executive Director of the Environmental
Rights Action and current chairman of
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI),
recently made the list of TIME
Magazine's '2009 Heroes of the
Environment'.
Only last year, Nnimmo, as he is fondly
called (mind you, it's pronounced nii-mm-mo)
was elected chairman of the FoEI, a
group present in 77 countries. He is the
first black man to be so elected in the
41-year existence of the FoEI, the
largest grassroots civil society network
in the world.
Reverend Bassey was one of the 38
recipients of this year's award
categorised under_leaders and
visionaries, activists, scientists and
innovators, moguls and_entrepreneurs.
According to TIME, 'The recipients are
heroes because they set out_to discover
what that opportunity might be From
saving wild_mountain rivers in China to
measuring the Arctic's icy expanse,
from_protecting the lush forests of
Africa to conducting a feisty
online_debate '. Nnimmo was picked for
his outspokenness in favour of the Niger
Delta.
The garlands, so very well deserved,
coming the way of the eminent Nigerian
environmentalist is no doubt, exciting,
fulfilling. But these weren't earned
overnight. They are the result of
several years of pains and perseverance
in the hot pursuit of justice.
This activism career, which has
virtually meant jettisoning a successful
architectural career, has atimes meant
enduring physical tortures. Under the
Sani Abacha military dictatorship for
instance, he suffered several seizures
of his passport and in 1996, was
detained for 41 days. In the course of
the detention, he suffered the
humiliation of being stripped to his
pants, all for speaking for the
voiceless majority.
Reverend Bassey maintains a grueling
schedule all-year round-holding meetings
by day, flying thousands of hours by
night, speeding to several countries as
a highly sort conference speaker, or
perched before his avid companion of a
laptop, working into the wee hours of
the morning. His trips sometimes see him
staying in some of the most squalid
places in Africa and Latin America . A
two-month schedule can look something
like; supervising awareness meetings
with women affected by oil spills in
Ikarama, or by gas flares in Imiringi
both in Bayelsa State; making
representation to government officials
over the forceful annexing of rich
rainforests in Edo State by French tyre
multinational, Michelin; visiting and
making donations to victims of military
assault in Gbaramatu, at Warri General
Hospital; sensitizing journalists on
environmental reporting, in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State; keeping tab and
making inputs into the formation of
ERA's Host Community Network (HOCON) in
Plateau State for communities affected
by the adverse effects of tin mining;
making inputs into the formation of
Network of ERA Lawyers; making inputs
into ERA's presentations at the hearing
of the National Tobacco Bill at the
National Assembly, or meeting with
environmentalists in Ghana and
sensitizing them on the need to be
cautious and watchful so as to forestall
a repetition of the Niger Delta disaster
amidst the euphoria over new-found
'Black Gold'; meeting with FOEI's
representatives in Geneva, debating
issues with representatives from the
United Nations and other global bodies
etc etc.
For 16 years since he founded ERA
alongside other firebrand activists
(whom we call 'ERA Spirits'), Rev.
Bassey has led an army of dedicated
grassroots activists making a difference
in one of the richest yet most despoiled
regions of the world, and growing it
into the foremost environmental group in
Nigeria and one of the shinning lights
on the continent.
And, ERA under Nnimmo is not
particularly new to recognitions. In
1998, it won the maiden edition of the
Sophie Award, a global recognition for
excellence in environmental activism.
Just in March this year, ERA clinched
the maiden Bloomberg Award for Global
Tobacco Control at the World Conference
on Tobacco or Health in India . The
organization was the lone awardee from
Africa and one of four winners globally.
On a personal level, the Akwa Ibom-born,
gangling six-footer is endowed with a
dense sense of humor, and a way with
people of various shades.
But Nnimmo Basssey, 51, wasn't born an
activist. After obtaining a degree in
Architecture from the University of
Nigeria , Nsukka in 1981, he joined the
University of Benin as school architect
in 1982. He left in 1991 and delved
headlong into the cause of justice
amidst the flagrant human rights abuses
and growing consciousness of the early
1990's. He has grown steadily over the
years into a globally-recognized voice
for a safer planet, a racking pain in
the necks of several Nigerian
governments and the nemesis of
exploitative oil multinationals who
collaborate with insensitive governments
to milk a people of their God-given
resources, pollute their lands, spit on
the face of their human dignity and
trample on their rights.
A prolific writer, he utilizes the
poetic medium as an acerbic campaign
weapon, churning out four collections so
far. He has also authored several
architectural and environment-related
books, with more waiting in the wings.
An ingenious architect, Rev. Bassey is
credited with the design concept of more
than 60 stately structures spread across
Edo, Delta, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Cross
Rivers and Lagos States as well as the
Federal Capital Teritory, Abuja and even
beyond, stretching as far as Angola and
Mali . Some of the most visible include
the entire structures of the Loyola
Jesuit College , Abuja , administrative
and reception block of the Precious Palm
Royal Hotel, Benin, Faculty of
Education, University of Benin ,
hospital complexes in Angola and the FoE
office complex in Mali .
Rev. Bassey's fervency extends as well
to spiritual frontiers. He is an
ordained minister with the Gospel Light
International Ministries, Benin, where
ERA is also headquartred. On the home
front, he is married to Evelyn, also an
architect-environmentalist, and
they have three sons.
Looking at Nnimmo and the garlands, one
can then say that inspite of the flakes
our country continuously takes, rightly
or wrongly, from pessimistic western
media, here is one of the Nigerian
luminaries alive who shame the
pessimists, break the jinxes, and for
whom the country should truly beat its
chest. Only last December, Newsweek
named Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General
Overseer of the Redeemed Christian
Church of God (RCCG) as one of the Most
Influential People on Earth. I don't
know Adeboye in person though I happen
to be one of his flocks, but I count
myself blessed to have the enigmatic
Nnimmo Bassey as my boss.
Abah is ERA's Gender Focal Person
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