The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to investigate the service and unprecedented environmental damage within Oil Producing Communities.
The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ahmadu Jaha.
In his lead debate, Hon. Jaha observed that Nigeria is ranked as the 15th major oil-producing nation, with an average production of almost 2 million barrels per day and is reputed to be a gas bed.
“The House also notes that many oil wells in Bayelsa State are depleted and are no longer commercially viable, which accounts for the sale of lots of old upstream assets by International Oil and Gas Companies to local players.
“The House is aware that international global best practice requires that all depleted and commercially non-viable oil well platforms be decommissioned to prevent environmental hazards or interference with other maritime activities.
“The House is also aware that Section 232 of the Petroleum Industry Act provides that at the end of their exploration activities, oil-producing companies should ensure that the environment is returned to its original state by decommissioning and disposing of non-viable platforms.
“The House is further aware that Section 233 of the Petroleum Industry Act provides for the establishment of a Fund for the mitigation of negative environmental impacts associated with decommissioning or abandonment of oil and gas fields and assets.
“The House is concerned that local and foreign Oil and Gas Companies have persistently disregarded extant laws by abandoning non-viable platforms and facilities at their operational bases without following the standard practices, thereby posing great risks to the host communities, as the emission of poisonous gases from abandoned facilities are resulting to unexplainable ailments and terminal diseases amongst the people.
“The House is also concerned that the abandoned facilities are impeding water transportation causing unimaginable dangers to farmers;
“The House is worried that the relevant regulatory bodies are not taking any serious steps to set things right, while members of the host communities are suffering life-threatening hardship as a result of negligence from the parties involved,” he noted.
In his remarks, Hon. Gaza Gbwefi stressed the need for the House Committee on Environment to be incorporated into the prayers of the motion as the Ministry of Environment is solely responsible for such clean-ups.
To this end, the House mandated the host communities, as well as that of Petroleum Resources (Downstream, Upstream and Midstream) to investigate the environmental damage in oil-producing communities caused by non-compliance with extant laws by oil-producing companies.
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