CHIMPREPORTS
President Museveni has defended Uganda’s decision to build the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), saying much as oil production is not good for the envorinment, “There are safer uses of oil.”
Museveni gave the example of synthetic car tyres which he said are much stronger than the rubber tyres; hairs and car-seats; polyester for textiles to mix with cotton; medicine; bitumen (asphalt); cosmetics; detergents and packages.
“Here, the environment issue is no longer green- house gases but waste-disposal,” said Museveni while meeting the business community in Tanzania’s coastal capital, Dar es salaam, adding, “ Can we not perpetually recycle some of those for re- use?”
The remarks come against the backdrop of heated criticism of oil companies planning to invest billions of dollars in the oil project.
Environmentalists say East Africa does not need oil or any fossil fuels to unlock its future especially when there are viable, affordable and clean alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind, which are renewable and have better prospects when it comes to long-term job opportunities.
They aregue that East Africa needs to focus on a just transition to renewable energy that guarantees the extensive deployment of millions of clean jobs.
The proponents of the pipeline have claimed that EACOP will create short term employment for highly skilled and semi-skilled professionals, as well as casual laborers over a period of 2 to 3 years.
It is estimated that over 20,000 jobs would be created during the construction phase, boosting the income of the households along the pipeline.
But conservationsists say pipeline risks polluting water resources of which over 40 million people in 9 countries depend on; an unacceptable human rights violation.
They further claim the pipeline will tear through some of the world’s most significant habitats, home to endangered species including African elephants, chimpanzees and lions, pushing them ever closer to extinction.
Effects
WHile speaking on the sidelines of the Tanzania-Uganda Oil & Gas symposium, Museveni agreed that some uses of petroleum generate gases create a blanket effect in the atmosphere that warms the temperature of the globe, melts the icesheet and the glaciers and causes the sea to rise and unpredictable rain patterns.
“That, however, is not the fault of oil. It is the fault of the misusers. Uganda, therefore, supports the Movement towards cleaner energy sources: hydro, solar, wind, geo-thermal and even nuclear and we are preparing for all,” said Museveni.
He said the region shall use fossil energy for another 40 years.
“Oil has been important and will continue to be important. Oil Transformed the very poor countries of North Africa and the Middle East into very affluent societies on account of the petro dollars that started flowing in that area following Gaddaffi’s activism for higher oil prices and the Arab- Israeli war of 1973,” said Museveni.
“Therefore, Tanzanian, Ugandans, all the global citizens, the East African pipeline business is a good, durable business. It will create jobs during construction and after. Other service providers will also be able to supply those who work in the oil sector e.g. hotels, transport, food –suppliers etc,” said Museveni.
“Unlike Japan or Korea or Saudi Arabia who are either do not have oil or only have oil, East Africa has got everything: agriculture, minerals, forests, oil, gast etc. Once the environmental concerns are addressed ,the sky is the limit.”
The EACOP is touted as the project that will unlock East Africa’s future by taking Uganda’s oil to the rest of the world.
This will supposedly increase the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for both countries by over 60% during the construction phase
source https://perilofafrica.com/2021/11/museveni-responds-to-oil-pipeline-critics.html