Rights group seeks action against gas flaring

THE Environmental Right Action/ Friends of the Erath Nigeria (ERA/FOEN) at the weekend decried what it called Nigeria's lack of political will to stop gas flaring in the country despite international legislation against it.However, it urged the Federal Government to enact laws to deal with environmental problems in the country.The group also called on Federal Government to implement existing laws and bills that have been signed by the legislature on 'climate justice' for a 'clean, safe, efficient and renewable energy, which they said, would foster true solutions to the challenges confrontingthe Nigeria's environment.This call was made at an ERA/FOEN environmental parliament in Benin Citywith the theme: Legislative advocacy and the state of the Nigerian environment.They lamented that the country loses $2.5 billion yearly to gas flaring from the over 257 flow stations in the Niger Delta.Participants at the forum deplored the Federal Government's militarisation of the region to protect its oil interests instead of deploying such energies to properly regulate activities of oil industries in the area.A resource person at the event, Godwin Ojo, lamented the deteriorating state of the Nigerian environment saying, 'this oil rich region of Nigeria is one marked with regular if not daily cases of oil spills resulting majorly from the rupturing of old oil installations that destroys the waters and lands where they are installed. The people's livelihood have been lost as many who are fish and crop farmers depend solely on the harvest from these natural blessings as a means of sustaining their families'He said, Nigeria currently flares gas that is generated in association with oil production to the tune of 18.9 billion cubic meters (BCM) a year, which translates to 75 per cent of all associated gas produced in the country and the greenhouse gas emissions of 70 million tonnesCO2 equivalent making Nigeria the second largest contributor after Russia to the global climate crisis, contributing about 12.5 per cent of all global flared gas.A member of the Edo State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, MomohAbdulrasaqAwu, stressed the need for the Federal Government to make ecological funds available to states, as this will salvage some of the environmental issues in the country.
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