NASS To Consider Climate Change Bill, Restrict Oil Companies

The Nigerian National Assembly (NASS) is looking at coming up with a bill that will ensure international best practices are adhered to in the harvesting of natural resources in the country.

This was stated by the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, representing Abia Central Senatorial District.

He is also canvassing at the global stage the need for oil companies and multinational corporations to prioritise and adhere to best practices, especially in the context of mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change, including the aftermath of gas flaring in Nigeria.

Speaking at the end of the 2023 Global Parliamentarian Forum, holding as part of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)  in Marrakech, Morocco which kicked off yesterday, Nwokocha said, there is need to weigh options and do what is best for the country.

Noting that the effects of climate change have been devastating on the African continent, he said, when it comes to climate change as well as how it has ravaged Africa, there is no limitation to the effect.

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Thus, he said, ensuring best practices is key, adding that “we are comparing notes and at the end of the day we are coming up with something (a bill) stronger that can lift us from where we are to greater heights.

On the effects of climate change in Africa, he said: “it is just like when you do directional drilling, you may be causing the problem here while the effect will go viral to other places that do not contribute much in contributing to the problem.

“So in a situation where, we have gas flaring in Nigeria and some other factors that are man made, what efforts are we making to eliminate all those factors, that are man made, which at the end of the day, they are hopeful that they want to come and compensate Africans instead of stopping the issues that led to such problems.

“I think we need to work hard, making sure that will forestall every action that will lead to devastation of our environment because we do not have any other place except our home. And we do not have the technical know-how to tap all the resources and all these advanced economies. What they do is they come around to tap these resources, throwing into the winds, the Best Global practices of harvesting those natural resources. And over time, after a little while, the devastation will come and when it comes they now think of how to compensate us.

“Is there any compensation that can equate whatever effect that any devastation could have caused. The answer is no.

So I think all we need to do as far as this kind of gathering is concerned from the parliament is to make sure that we Institute the proper legislative instrumentality, to forestall everything that has to do with devastation that is manmade and at the end of the day, mostly in Africa.”