Some members of the Civil Society Organizations, environmental rights activists and other stakeholders yesterday called for an urgent need to end flared gas and its dangerous health hazards in the Niger Delta region.
They re-echoed the call in Benin City at a dialogue on gas flaring penalties, greenhouse emissions and Nigeria’s National Determined Contribution Commitment.
The dialogue also focused on the Accountability for Gas flared and clean Energy Advocacy (AGFACEA) project.
The executive director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of Earth Nigeria, Barr. China Williams, in his welcome address, said it was time to end to what he described as “resource curse syndrome”.
He said, “The first even case filed in any Nigerian court to demand end to gas flaring was at the Federal High Court here in Benin City in the case of Jonah Gbemre V. She’ll with favorable judgement ordering an end to the practice made by the court on November 14, 2005 exactly 10 years and four days after the murder of Ken Saro Wiwa.
“That judgement though still on appeal, has formed the bedrock for the campaign to end gas flaring in Nigeria and has led to lots of policy and legislative works towards ending out rightly gas flaring or making it a national income earner for Nigeria.”
The Goldman Environmental Prize (Green Novel Prize) winner also commended the unique position of the Oba of Benin on the agitation to end flaring of gas.
“We therefore urge our participants to review the issue of gas flaring, its negative environmental footprints, health consequences and economic losses as well as any advantaged or potential opportunities in appropriate harnessing of flared gas,” he said.
