COMPENSATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NIGERIA AND ITS EFFECTS

ABSTRACT

Environment is man’s immediate surrounding and man in his exploration and innovation has always been tempering with his/her environment there by causing harm to the environment in his causes to making life easy and meaningful for its existence such as the exploration of crude oil, gold mining and other natural minerals in his environment, which in turns creates danger to live stocks and crops during exploration, mining and excavation. This researcher has taken it upon himself to know what the necessary compensations are due to the inhabitants living in that society if any, and if the compensation are really measurable enough to elevate the standard of living of the dwellers in that society if any, and if the compensations are really measurable enough to elevate the standard of living of the dwellers in that locality the necessary rules, laws and penalties stipulated for defaulters who refuse to pay or make the necessary implementations for such cases, and what the government of the federal republic of Nigeria has in her constitution about the environment and there that are alleged to be degrading this environment with their industries.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 THE NATURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

History and science both seemed to agree that before the advent of man, the environment already existed, and it’s therefore logical to rationalize that the environment proceeded man’s human technologies and scientific development. It’s rightly by who postulated that this environment before the advent of man was pure and inspolled as was discerned from biblical records, when God created the sun total of what was conceived as the environment. He saw that it was good, man therefore inherited a good environment and was constituted as a superior being to conquer all the earthly natural resources, but not to destroy, pollute or degrade the natural resources that were created for the same superior beings existed. The occurrence some natural include such as earthquakes and draught, which causes harm to natural environment, though the natural environment has inbuilt mechanism to absolve and eliminate some of the harm which originally occur in nature.

The intensification of the various activities of man has caused a shift in this natural mechanism by including and increasing the rate at which these incidents occur. The above stem from the perspective of modern environmental imprudence, its known from the beginning of mans creation, that man has been dependent on the earths ecosystem to provide him with the means of sustenance air to breath, food to eat, water to drink and other natural resources to advance quality of life. In other words, man’s basic needs are hinged upon good clothing and shelter. These are entirely derived from land for life depends on it. The principle of quid plantator solo-solo credit, presupposes that land consist of the surface of the earth, the soil and air space above it as well as all things, which are permanently attached to the soil. And it also includes steams and ponds. Man, being owe of the most inhabitant of the world has his existence hinged on the reservoir of resources within his immediate surrounding for his own sustenance, he exploits the environment for all his needs. However, in this attempt to actualize his dreams of existence, the magnetite of his intrusion on the supporting web of the environment is generating an alarm that cannot be ignored, because very existence of man is threatened to the cord. The consequences of the above situation are the large scale degradation that has been and is still being done to the environment.

1.1 MEANING OF ENVIRONMENT

Section 38 of the federal environment protection agency act defines environment as including water, air, land and all human beings and animals living therein and the inter-relationship which exist between them. This means in essence that life depends on the environment. Contrary to the attitude and believe of most people in developing countries that their lives or livelihood depends entirely on their immediate neighborhood. It’s now being realized that environment extends beyond peoples vicinity to another circles of the earth. It follows that environment is an umbrella word that embraces all the vital elements required for life to exist.