The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to investigate operations and equipment of oil producing companies operating in the Niger Delta.This followed a motion by Rep. Goodluck Opia (Imo-PDP) on need to investigate oil pollution in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta Local Government Areas of Imo.
The motion was unanimously and adopted by the lawmakers.Opia said that communities in the areas suffered from oil spillage and explosions that were avoidable, adding that Agip Oil Company operated in the area.
He said that there the need to find out the state of equipment being used by the company which had operated in the communities in the past 50 years.
“The probe should determine the immediate cause of the explosion that affected lives, damaged the environment as well as affected peoples’ means of livelihood.“The recent explosion at Ebocha-Egbema led to a stoppage of exploration of crude oil, and consequent loss of over 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day,’’ said.
Opia alleged that virtually all oil companies operating in the Niger-Delta run on substandard and outdated equipment that were unsafe and often polluted the environment.
“The companies have little regard for the safety of lives and property of the host communities,” he alleged.
Contributing, Rep. Aliyu Magaji (Jigawa-APC) described safety in the country as everybody’s business and said that it was importance to regularly monitor the activities of the oil companies to ensure compliance with extant laws regulating their operations.
“There is need to find out if these oil companies are actually doing what they are supposed to do.
“There is also need to ensure that their facilities are monitored to guarantee that they are up to standard and this is crucial in averting poor maintenance services,” Magaji stated.
However, Rep. Lovette Idisi, (Delta-PDP) said that it would be judgmental to say that equipment used by Agip were obsolete.
According to him, the way the prayers of the motion are couched is already indicting.
NAN reports that in his ruling, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, said that the house would set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incidents and damages caused to the host communities.
“The committee will also determine the state of operational equipment used by Agip Oil Company and other oil producing companies in the affected areas and report back to the house within four weeks,” he ordered.
Punch
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