Civil Society, Community Groups in Niger Delta protest gas flaring
As the south-south caucus of the House of Representatives gathered in a
retreat in Port Harcourt , Rivers State , Civil Society and Community
groups in the Niger Delta staged a peaceful demonstration to protest
continued gas flaring by oil companies in the Niger Delta.
The protest rally which took place at the venue of the lawmakers retreat
Hotel Presidential, Port-Harcourt was to draw the attention of the
lawmakers to the devastating impacts of gas flaring on the environment and
livelihoods of the peoples of the Niger Delta as well as awaken the
federal legislators to their responsibility towards ending this practice
by passing the proposed bill to end gas flaring in Nigeria presently
before the National Assembly.
The protesters displayed banners and placards with various inscriptions
and writings on them all of which condemned continued gas flaring in the
Niger Delta. Some of the placards read; “save us from the flames of
Shell and co”, “pass the gas flaring bill”, “end gas flaring
now”, “gas flaring is genocide” etc.
Speaking to newsmen on behalf of the protesters, Vivian Bellonwu of SOCIAL
ACTION Port Harcourt said it was most shameful and deplorable that after
over five decades of oil exploitation in Nigeria , oil companies were
still adopting an out dated and environmentally degrading practice of
flaring gas in the course of their operations. She lamented that this
situation has continued because of government’s permissiveness as well
as its preference of premordial gains over the interest and wellbeing of
its citizens. This she said has occasioned government’s endless shifting
of the deadline to end gas flaring in Nigeria .
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She said while the communities in the Niger Delta are groaning under the
pressure of polluted air, health complications, increasingly less
agricultural yields, lack of electricity etc, all caused by gas flaring,
the Nigerian government is busy collecting and pocketing fines from oil
companies that flare gas, while the oil companies with the tacit support
of the government flare gas ceaselessly.
Bellonwu pointed out that it was out of frustration over government’s
demonstrated unwillingness to act to end gas flaring that the groups have
decided to turn to the National Assembly to enact a law that will legally
prohibit flaring of gas in Nigeria and called on members of the National
Assembly to ensure the smooth passage of the gas flaring prohibition bill
in order to save the traumatized peoples and communities of the Niger
Delta as well as the environment.
The groups later presented a position paper containing its demands on the
issue, which include amongst others; immediate enactment of legislation to
i) end gas flaring in Nigeria with 2008 as deadline, ii) compel the
government and oil companies to harness ‘associated gas’ presently
flared for power generation, iii) order a participatory audit of gas
flaring to ascertain damage, effect compensation and have all revenues
collected as fines for gas flaring dedicated to a special ‘Community
Health Fund’ which will help deal with the direct and indirect impacts
of flaring and oil operations, to a Member of the House of
Representatives, Hon Olaka Nwogu representing Eleme federal constituency
in Rivers State for onward delivery to the speaker of the House of
Representatives.
The peaceful protest was threatened by security agencies of the state.
The state security services and police at several occasions attempted to
confiscate the placards and banners carried by the protesters. Equally an
attempt to arrest leaders of the protest was aborted by the protesters.
Vivian Bellonwu
Communications Officer, SOCIAL ACTION
33 Oromenike Layout D/Line Port Harcourt
Email: vivian@saction.org
Tel: + 234 7039 3703 06
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