21 April 2014, Abuja – The House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian Navy to be wary of destroying confiscated petroleum products and other illegal refineries along the shores of the country.
The House committee on environment advised that petroleum products seized from oil thieves and others found in illegal refineries should be destroyed in a manner that would not endanger the health of neighbouring communities.
Chairman of the committee Rep Uche Ekwunife (APGA, Anambra) at an interactive session with the Navy and the Nigeria Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Abuja said in spite of the commendable efforts of the Navy, they should be wary with the health implication of their work.
“We appreciate the fact that they have reduced oil theft, but we are worried in the way of discharging the bunkered oil. We want to see if there are other ways we can discharge bunkered oil. We want to ensure that the environment is not further devastated,” she said.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, represented by Chief Naval Safety and Standards, Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, assured the committee that the Navy is looking for a solution to the problem in the face of numerous challenges.
– Daily Trust