Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Senate Committee on Host Communities, Oil and Gas, has emphasized the critical need for immediate action in addressing oil spill incidents across the Niger Delta.
To this end, the Committee has charged oil companies and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, to respond swiftly to pollution incidents, and not wait till 20years before remediation.
Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Sunday Benson Agadaga, said these in Ogoni when he led members of the committee on a tour of projects embarked by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP.
Agadaga who visited several HYPREP project sites including remediation sites in Ogale Eleme, Kporghor water project, Buan Cottage Hospital, Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration.
He said, “As for pollution, NOSDRA and the oil companies should take control of it. We cannot afford to wait 10 to 20 years for remediation. We expect that anytime there is pollution, there must be immediate attention to that place, so there will be not much damage to the environment before remediation.
“As a matter of fact, international standards dictate that pollution must be addressed immediately to prevent further environmental damage.”
The Senate Committee also expressed concern over the slow pace of the ongoing Ogoni cleanup project, commending the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Remediation, CEER, as a vital step toward producing skilled labor in environmental management.
“We are impressed with the development that’s going on in the Ogoni cleanup project. The CEER here is going to produce skilled labour in Nigeria, particularly people who are specialized in environmental studies, pollution and pollution control. Thus, the vision of the Niger Delta forefathers who fought for the region is actually being fulfilled.
“I urged every contractor in the project to live up to expectation, so that the deadline for the completion of the project will be met.
“The aim of the project is to cover the entire Niger Delta, starting with Ogoni just that the pace is too slow. We expect this thing to be rounded off soon so it can move to other areas, such as Oloibiri.”
Supporting the urgency of the remediation of Ogoniland, a member of the Senate Committee on Host Communities, Oil and Gas, Senator Gbenga Daniel, reflected on the suffering endured by local communities in the Niger Delta due to oil extraction.
Daniel urged for expanded societal responsibility initiatives and increased funding to compensate affected populations.
“The people of this area (Niger Delta) have suffered environmental devastation and based on the fact that this is where the wealth of the nation is being extracted. I am particularly excited with the amount of societal responsibility that I have seen and I am hoping that these should be extended to other parts of the Niger Delta, and there should be massive support in terms of funding.
“I have seen the water projects and the hospitals being built. This is one of the things we should do to compensate people who have suffered tremendous environmental degradation from oil pollution.”
For his part, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, told the Senate Committee that the Project already over 130 project sites in Ogoniland.
Zabbey listed the projects to include shoreline cleanup, land remediation, 14 water projects, livelihoods restoration programs, strengthening of existing hospitals in Ogoni, Ogoni power project, construction of hospitals, construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Remediation, etc.
