FG Lampoons  Oil Companies On Environmental Degradation

By JOHN MEZE

The Federal Government has carpeted oil and gas companies operating  in the country for what it described as a totally  demonstrated disregard for environmental issues, with regards to  the  oil and gas sector of the nation.
Minister of State for Energy (petroleum) Odien Ajumogobia while speaking at the  Opening ceremony of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)'s 13th Health Safety and Environment (HSE) conference of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria ,alleged that the companies as a result of continuous gas flaring have shown more disregard for environmental issues in  the country.
According to him, oil companies operating in Nigeria  are not doing enough to  the improve the degraded environments in the areas of their operations and   stressed that continuous flaring of gas has caused climate change in the world especially in Nigeria .
He further added that  oil exploration and production activities being carried out by the oil companies have now become one of the topical issue with regards to its toll on the workers health.
“Oil and gas operations from time to time have  been characterized by unfortunate but avoidable  accidents. Tragically some of such accidents have resulted in fatalities and debilitating injuries to people who are  working in the industries through exposure to risks such as  crude and shoot” he said while averring that “this is not a forum to point at or reveal the HSC practice or performance record of individual operators, it is however an opportunity for all of us in the industry to recommit ourselves to taking the step that would address the lapses in this area” .
Speaking on the recent threat by the oil union to embark on industrial action over maltreatment by the oil companies, Ajumogobia said that investigations have  shown  that oil companies are not treating their staff in  accordance with standard practice and observed that except adequate steps are taking to reverse the menace the industry would witness a colapse.
“Recent complains of labour organization-NUPENG, in particular on behalf of oil workers have highlighted some of these lapses in the area of HSE of oil workers.
Complaints ranging from unsafe structures arising from poor sand , ineffective design , sub-standard quality to the integrity of some of the oil facilities that have not been maintained over some years.
Sometimes, physical challenges which exist in the value-chain in the petroleum industry needs to be taken into account in devising best practices, Companies and operators however, shy away from to showing concern and response to physical  injuries which are visible and debilitating, especially those injuries that stop employees from being able to carry out the jobs that are assigned to them.”
While  assessing the impact the HSE in the industry, Ajumogobia said, “We can achieve greater heights in HSE  performance   despite the complexities and the security challenges of going business in the Niger Delta at this time”.
 He however enjoined stakeholders to be considerate in their activities in the quest to maintain socio-economic and by  which the stake-holders can cooperate to achieve collective  goals in the nation's petroleum industry.
Also speaking at the event, the Acting Director of  Petroleum Resources Alhaji Aliyu Sabonbirni said that due to its difficult terrain of operation using sophisticated  technology oil and gas business in the country needs adequate security to performing its money-spinning role in  the economy.
Commenting on  the import of the HSE conference to the Nation's oil and gas industry he urged operators in country to join hands with the department to evaluate the industry practices over the years and explore horizons that would proffer recommendations and roadmaps to best practices in the sector.
However , Senator I. S. Martyns  Yellowe ,the former Chairman , Senate Committee on environment in his paper titled “Multiple Regulatory  Agencies In The Oil And Gas Sector: Who Is To Blame Between The Executive And  The Legislature”, observed  that the long stay of the Military in governance gave room for lax in the enforcement of the rules and regulations set up by successive governments in the country to ensure best practice with regards environments in the oil and gas industry.
“The vast majority of the laws and regulations in the oil industry were put in place during military rule, when powerful executive and relatively much weaker legislative powers vested in successive ruling councils under different names. A major component of the law-making process public sector as important as the oil industry and a matter as  poorly understood by government and the governed alike as the environment at that time, such an omission was likely to adversely affect the quality of the eventual legislation. It is equally instructive  to note that the very first demand for better methods in operations to stem the level of environmental degradation resulting from oil activities by a group of Rivers indigenes in 1974 was misunderstood for  subversion of the industry operations by the government of the day, and the group was clamped down on. How could such a  regime accept an alternative view-point however competent and qualified in the   legislative process?” he said
Senator Yellowe , opined that the regulatory and enforcement agencies such as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the National  Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSRA) , among a host of others including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should be given the teeth  to bite through being strengthened  by legislative processes.
He Posited that “With a final farewell to military rule, and with  increasing experience in the practice of civil democratic governance, there shall be better legislative practices and
procedure. For example :     more extensive research in the legislative process;better management of delegated legislative functions and powers from the legislature to the executive; periodic review and updating of extant laws to keep abreast with contemporary realities; consideration of executive Bills (other than, appropriation) strictly on merit with no preferential treatment based on ill-conceived infallibility ;    provision of MOU clauses in relevant laws and ensuring  their implementation where there are potential or real
jurisdictional clashes and overlap”.