President Bola Tinubu has been urged to declare a state of emergency on gas flaring in Nigeria due to severe health problems in the Niger Delta region and wage a stern war against corruption in the oil sector.
The Executive Producer of Insider the Niger Delta, Mamode Akugha, persuaded President Tinubu-led administration to urgently stop emissions and flaring of gas in oil-bearing communities, stressing that residents are living through hell and that the ‘health impacts on the people should be prioritised over the government’s quest for petro-dollars.
Akugha described the Niger Delta region as a “crime scene”, accusing the Federal Government of involving in the harmful act in collaboration with joint ventures and oil exploration companies at the expense of the people.
The call for the government to take urgent steps to nip gas flaring in the bud was made during an anti-corruption radio program, Public Conscience , produced by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG) on Wednesday in Abuja.
It follows a recent investigative report published by Human Angle Media exposing how the people of Obrikom and Egbema communities of Rivers State are suffering from respiratory problems, skin rashes, eye irritations, and death over excessive flares, regardless of existing laws to address the hazardous practice.
Describing the gravity of the impact, Akugha said gas flaring is affecting the Niger Delta region in terms of diseases springing up, cancer cases, reproductive issues, destruction of the environment, and aquatic lives.
“Niger Delta is in dire straits, and help cannot come soon enough. President Tinubu should declare a state of emergency in the Niger Delta over gas flaring; It is not enough to collect the petro-dollars. What about the lives and the livelihoods of the people in the Niger Delta.
“The people are impacted, their source of livelihood is going away, their health is at risk, and their environment is hostile. Anywhere the people turn to, this production of oil has turned the place into hell for the people.
“The entire Niger Delta region is a crime scene, and this crime is perpetrated by the federal government of Nigeria in conjunction with its joint venture partners.
“We’ve been flaring gas in the Niger Delta since the 50s till date. That’s 70 years. There’s no comprehensive study to date to assess the impact of this negative practice that we are continuing within Nigeria.
“The government knows what it’s supposed to do, knows this practice is unhealthy, and this practice is a health risk to the people living in Niger Delta, it’s a global risk to the environment because the world is talking about climate change”, he lamented.
On the need to clamp down on corruption in the oil sector, Akugha called on the government to legalise the operations of modular refineries, while describing corruption in the petroleum industry as huge and unbelievable, involving highly placed Nigerians and the military.
“The modular refineries in the Niger Delta, legalise them. Because of the little amount that is stolen from the pipelines allegedly by the military people, they sell to these boys who do local refining of petroleum products. So, legalise it so they don’t have to bribe the military people. Let them pay tax on whatever they are refining to the Federal Government and make it cleaner, better, and environment-friendly.
“President Tinubu’s government must take stopping gas flaring seriously and be ready to wage war against oil theft,” Akugha advised.
On his part, investigative journalist, Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi urged the Federal Government to quickly intervene in the plight of residents of Obrikom and Egbema communities in Rivers State who are facing serious health problems due to gas flares and emissions.
Sofiullahi, while recounting the magnitude of the impact of gas flaring on the people, noted that more communities in the Niger Delta were facing similar fates like Obrikom and Egbema.
He said: “The government should take stronger actions to stop gas flaring by speedily enforcing laws stopping the companies flaring the gas. They should also invest in cleaner and safer technologies.
“There should be better health care support for the affected communities, including free medical checkups and access to clean water and finally, the government should include these communities into the decision-making policy and ensure their voices are heard,” Sofiullahi stated.
Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio programme PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
The programme has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
