Environmentalist urges FG to end gas flaying in Niger Delta
NAN-AE-1
Gas
By Chidinma Agu
Lagos, Jan. 25, 2017 (NAN) A Council Member of Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Mrs Marie Fatayi-Williams, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to stop postponing the deadline for gas flaying in the Niger Delta.
Fatayi-Williams gave this advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to her, without being firm on the issue, the oil companies operating in the area will always find the easy way out through payment of penalty.
“The issue of stopping gas flaying in oil producing areas has been on for a long time.
“The Niger Delta environment and the people are worst-off for it.
“The women and young people in the area do not have a future and greater havoc is what has been before them.
“I am yet to be convinced that the country has a master plan for best practices in oil exploration in the area.
“The continuous postponement of gas flaying is not helping matters. Now, is the time for the Federal Government to be firm with the companies to ensure end to gas flaying in the country,’’ she said.
Fatayi-Williams said that women and children in the areas had many health issues as gas flared contained toxic substances, which causes respiratory diseases and air pollution.
She said that in addition to human beings, gas flaying caused depletion of the ozone layer, which had negative effect on weather and the climate.
Fatayi-Williams said that many countries across the world have taken advantage of the economic benefits, which flared gas presented through its re-injection into the fields or conversion into liquefied natural gas, domestic cooking gas, plastic production and other uses.
According to her, the problem of gas flaring has remained unresolved in Nigeria for many decades with unending extension of deadlines.
NAN reports that based on data from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) the nation lost about $336.33 million dollars in the first half of 2016.
Also, in the same period, oil and gas companies operating in the country flared 112.11 billion Standard Cubic Feet (SCF) of gas. (NAN)
ACA/ESAN/AFA