Right to Life Under the Yoke of Environmental Pollution in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

Abstract

This Paper maintained a topical focus on right to life which is the most fundamental of all rights, without which no man can enjoyed other rights. With open insistence on the fact that right to life permeates every race, clime and culture, the paper accepted the universality of the right. In fact, in the context of this paper, right to life is considered against the background of the condition of huge environmental pollution, among other militating conditions, in the Niger Delta. The thematic thought underscored in the finding of this paper is that with overwhelming environmental pollutions engendered by oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities undertaken by Oil and Gas Multi-Million Naira Companies with their State Collaborators, among other negative conditions, right to life, the hub which other rights revolve is hardly realized by the people, especially, the poor rural dwellers in the Niger Delta. It is not in the contemplation of this paper that natural resources in the Niger Delta need not be exploited, but the paper in the spirit of human rights activism and environmentalism favoured resource exploitation capable of exploding massive environmental pollution, harmful to human life along the lines of environmentally friendly procedures, ensuring environmental sustainability and respect for right to life. The paper used provisions of law; judicial authorities; and materials from Journals, Law Texts, Newspapers and Internet to buttress the kernel of its arguments and made recommendations in the end.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n7p9