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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has decried the persistent gas leak in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The the House Committee on South-South Development Commission (SSDC), which is saddled with the investigation expressed dismay that there have been little efforts to address the leak, which was reported several months ago.
Consequently, the Committee directed the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Rivers State Government, Degema Local Government Council and representatives of the Bille Community to jointly chart a path towards resolving the lingering crisis.
The chairman, the Committee, Julius Pondi, gave the the directive, at an interactive session with stakeholders, following a motion urging the immediate relocation of residents pending the containment of the gas leak, which NOSDRA confirmed is still ongoing.
Pondi, who explained that the meeting was convened to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the unusual gas leak in Bille Community and determine the appropriate legislative and regulatory response, said the development portends grave danger the affected communities and the country at large.
According to him, “as representatives of the Nigerian people, we have a constitutional responsibility to ensure that operators in the oil and gas sector conduct their activities in compliance with existing laws, environmental regulations and international best practices, while guaranteeing that host communities are adequately protected from avoidable environmental and safety hazards.”
The lawmaker added that “we shall evaluate the adequacy and timeliness of the emergency response with a view to determining whether sufficient measures were taken to protect lives, public health and the environment.
“In addition, we are interested in establishing the current status of compensation for affected persons, environmental remediation efforts and ecological restoration in the impacted areas.
“Equally important is our responsibility to assess the broader social and economic consequences of the incident on the people of Bille Community, whose livelihoods and well-being may have been severely affected.
“We also expect updates on medical interventions provided to affected residents, relief measures implemented and ongoing community support initiatives where applicable.”
