Stakeholders in the Niger Delta region have called for stronger penalties for oil companies promoting gas flaring in the area.
This was contained in a communiqué issued on Friday at the end of a one-day stakeholders’ meeting organised by ActionAid Nigeria in Asaba, Delta State.
The communiqué endorsed by the County Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, presented a visual compilation of the negative impact of oil companies in the Niger Delta.
It read partly, “The round table meeting on the negative impact of big oil companies in the Niger Delta environment observed Western banks funding the activities of multinational oil companies for oil exploration in the Niger Delta thus intensifying the environmental degradation.
“Community leaders are compromised due to poverty, this is a result of divide and rule strategy used by the multi-national oil companies. The lack of political will on the part of our leaders to implement relevant laws has impeded the fight against abnormalities associated with oil explorations in the Niger Delta.
“Emphasis is on gas flaring; there is waste from the water channels and also the issue of deforestation. We hereby appeal to the government to put in place strong penalties for oil companies embarking on gas flaring.
“There should be a proper cleanup of the areas affected by the effect of the oil spillages in the Niger Delta.”
While calling on oil companies to map out ways for the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, the stakeholders said all multi-national companies must as a necessity have a carbon gas desk
They called on host communities and individuals affected by oil exploration to have an understanding of the PIA, calling on the House Committee on climate change and the Committee of Niger Delta Affairs to establish a desk office with the host communities for ease of complaints.
The Federal Government had in September this year announced that it issued letters of award to 42 firms for the 2022 Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme.
It announced this in a statement issued in Abuja by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
The statement read in part, “The NUPRC hereby announces the outcome of the bidding exercise and issuance of letters of award to 42 companies/entities deemed successful in the keenly contested bid for 49 flare sites put forward during the 2022 Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme auction process.
“38 of the companies/entities have been awarded 40 flare sites for standalone single flare site development, while four are awarded nine sites to be developed as clusters.
“Reserve bidders’ status has also been accorded some companies for the corresponding flare sites in case the preferred bidders fail to meet the terms and conditions stipulated in the RFP (Request for Proposal).”
The NUPRC said award letters were already being transmitted to the respective successful entities through the appropriate channels.
In the third quarter of 2022, the NUPRC restructured the gas flare commercialisation programme and re-launched the it to align with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, as well as reflect the prevailing economic and operational realities in Nigeria.
The commission stated that the significant success recorded in the NGFCP bid process was due to a series of engagements with relevant stakeholders.
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source: The Punch
