Federal Gov’t Recommits To Tackling Oil Spills, Gas Flaring In Niger Delta

The federal government and Bayelsa State government have recommitted to address oil spills and gas flaring in the Niger Delta region.

They made the commitment during an International Conference on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta in Abuja.

The conference was held under the theme, “Advancing the Recommendations of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC).

Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, said international oil companies’ unchecked activities have devastated the state’s rivers and soil. He cited a report from the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, “An Environmental Genocide,” which revealed alarming statistics.

The governor said over 40 per cent of Bayelsa’s mangroves had been destroyed, and toxic spills have contaminated soil and water, noting that oil pollution and gas flaring have caused over 16,000 neonatal deaths in 2012 alone.

On his part, the minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, represented by Mr Busari Kamoru, Director of Upstream, highlighted the Niger Delta’s rich resources and potential.

Lokpobiri stressed the federal government’s dedication to reducing pollution and promoting sustainable environmental practices.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Sen. Seriake Dickson, called for collective action to address environmental pollution.