Body of the Attorneys General of the South South states of the federation has called on the Federal Government to immediately stop gas flaring in the zone.
The body has also called for payment to the states in accordance with the provisions of Section 162 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, their share of the revenue that ought to have accrued to the federation account from the flared and or wasted natural gas.
In a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day meeting of the body in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on Sunday, the body regretted the quantum of gas being flared annually by oil companies operating in the region and the nonchalant attitude of the Federal Government towards the enforcement of extant legislation on gas flaring.
The communiqué presented by Uwemedimo Nwoko, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Akwa Ibom State, also expects the Federal Government to “recover from the oil companies the outstanding penalties for gas flaring, running into trillions of Naira and pay same into the federation account for sharing in accordance with section 162 of the constitution.”
The Attorneys General, however, declared their support for the war against crude oil theft but frowned at the manner in which the recovered crude oil is usually blown up and burnt in the communities, thereby endangering innocent lives and destroying the environment.
“We demand that the Federal Government devises a more environmentally friendly plan of managing and disposal of recovered stolen crude oil.
“We also note with grave concern the frequency of crude oil spillages in the region occasioned by the operations of the oil companies and the consistent refusal of the Oil companies to pay compensation and carry out effective clean up and remediation.
“The body calls on the Federal Government and its agencies to ensure that the oil companies discharge their statutory duties by carrying out their operations in a pollution free manner and paying compensation and carrying out clean up and remediation whenever spills occur.
“The body also calls on the Federal Government to carry out a thorough clean up of the damage already occasioned by the incessant crude oil spillages.”
The Attorneys General called on oil companies to heed the admonition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to establish operational offices in their areas of operation in line with the provisions of sections 25,26 and 27 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.
“The Nigerian Content Development Management Board, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the Federal Government should enforce the aforesaid provisions of the Act,” the communiqué read in part.
The zonal Attorneys General also noted with great concern the continuous absence of Judges in the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court in Bayelsa State, just as it called on the Chief Judge of the federal High Court and the President of the National Industrial Court to urgently deploy Judges to the said courts.
The communiqué signed by the Attorneys General of Akwa Ibom State; Uwemedimo Nwoko, Bayelsa; Kemasuode Wodu, Cross River; Joseph Oshie Abang and Delta; Peter Mrakpor commended state governors for their strides in their respective states despite the present economic challenges, and governor Udom Emmanuel for hosting the meeting.
They should understand that most oil companies will not like to flare gas if they had a choice. when they consider the billions of dollars they will spend to built a gas plant that will treat and process the gas into usefulness , they will prefer to flare it. Govt should advice oil companies to built gas plant that will process the gas separated from crude. The black soot and everyday- rain in portharcourt is not unconnected to the activities of the oil companies.
