By Obiabin Onukwugha
An environmental watchdog, Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), has lauded the House of Representatives for what it describes as the federal legislature’s favourable consideration of a bill to end gas flaring in Nigeria.
The bill known as The Anti-Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Enforcement) Bill, 2024, which has scaled second reading, is sponsored by member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Babajimi Benson. It is aimed at addressing the longstanding and damaging practice of gas flaring in Nigeria.
The body made the commendation during its retreat which was held recently in Benin City Edo State.
EDEN described the bill as representing the true yearnings of Niger Delta communities that have been experiencing gas flares along with its implications such as unmitigated release of greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change, acid rain, and soot pollution, among others, for decades.
“Gas flaring in the Niger Delta region has equally led to public health issues as natives of host communities where the gas flare stacks are sited suffer respiratory illnesses, severe itching and other ailments that have evolved over time and contribute to the declining life expectancy in the region,” EDEN said.
EDEN also condemned the speed with which oil multinationals that have operated for decades in the Niger Delta are divesting from their on-shore operations to the deep waters where the federal government lacks the capacity to monitor their operations and called for an immediate halt.
It said: “A cause of worry for us is government’s unwillingness to get these firms to take full responsibility for the harms their operations have caused on the environment and livelihoods of local communities.
“Instead the federal government has gone ahead to approve Eni’s divestment of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to Oando Plc, Equinor Nigeria Energy Company Limited’s divestment to Project Odinmin Investments Limited, TotalEnergies-Telema Energies deal and ExxonMobil’s sale of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) to Seplat Energy.
“The flurry of approvals by the Nigerian government, which is supposed to stand for its people, continue to disregard the calls by communities impacted by the operations of these firms for environmental justice.”
The body insists that no oil corporation should be allowed to divest from the Delta until it takes responsibility for its toxic legacy of pollution, pledging its readiness to give legal support to communities that are against divestment without clean-up, remediation and compensation