By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
The Social Action Nigeria has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Gas Flaring Prohibition Bill, recently passed by the National Assembly (NASS).
Its Head of national advocacy, Ms. Vivian Bellonwu-Okafor in a statement made available to Newsdiaryonline Monday pointed out that the practice of flaring gas by oil firms in Nigeria, which had been on for decades in the Niger Delta “was an unconscionable act of environmental genocide against the people of the region'”
She added that through this practice, communities had suffered untowed violations to their livelihoods, human rights, environment and lives without access to ready remedy or redress adding that the bill was long over-due.
“It is gladdening to note that the Senate in enacting the bill, took conscious cognizance of the age-long practice of gas flaring figure falsification by oil entities and accordingly enacted provisions criminalizing the practice and further held that in the spirit of justice. It was only right that the fines collected from gas flaring be paid/given to local communities who have been the historical victims of this appalling practice,” she stated..
Bellonwu-Okafor called on the National Assembly to, in same vein pass the remaining aspect of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB into law in order to achieve a more holistic and effective industry regulation.
She urged the President to promptly sign the gas flaring prohibition bill into law to activate its provisions towards checkmating the menace it constitutes to the lives, environment and ultimately development of the region.