House of Representatives, on Tuesday, issued 7-day ultimatum to the Managing Director/CEO of Agip Petroleum PLC (now Oando PLC), Mr. Wale Tinubu and management team of Aiteo over unabated oil spill in the oil producing communities of the country.
Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Hon. Julius Pondi expressed the concern during the investigative hearing environmental impact of transporting crude oil by mega seagoing vessels from Nembe Creek Trunk to offshore crude oil storage in the Atlantic Ocean by Aiteo E&P, the oil spillage at Olugboboro Community in Southern Ijaw from Nigerian Agip Oil Company (Now Oando Oil Ltd) facility, jointly organized by the Committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream), & Petroleum Resources (Midstream).
Hon. Pondi who frowned at the level of disregard for the Parliament, said: “We sent them letter to Agip now Oando, we sent them letters up to four times they requested for two weeks, particularly that of Oando and the two weeks is today, and Aiteo never did not make any contact to the Committee till today…
“It is important that they are compelled to appear and they must appear before the Parliament before the joint Committee.”
To this end, Hon. Pondi mandated the Clerk to write a strong letter to them they have seven days to appear before this Parliament, that’s the decision of the House Committees on Environment, Petroleum Upstream and Midstream.
The lawmakers who decried the impacts of the oil spill on host communities and the means of livelihood, chided the regulatory agencies for failing to harmoniously work towards protecting the environment in line with extant regulations.
Hon. Pondi said: “Today’s gathering is a formal inquiry and a platform to address serious concerns affecting our constituents and the environment. The issues at hand pertain to the operations of Aiteo E & P Company and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (now Oando Oil Ltd). These companies’ activities allegedly portend grave environmental consequences in their host communities and, by extension, the nation as a whole.
“As we are all aware, the oil industry plays a critical role in the economic development of our country. It also contributes significantly to our national income, provides employment, and supports infrastructure development in various regions. However, this contribution should not come at the cost of the health, well-being, and livelihood of the people in our host communities, nor the expense of the environment.
“In light of the above, we have invited the Managing Directors of both Aiteo E & P Company and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (now Oando Oil Ltd) to this hearing, to provide us with detailed explanations regarding their activities, particularly in their areas of operations. We expect full cooperation and transparency from all stakeholders in this process. We will also be hearing from environmental experts, and relevant government agencies, to have a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
“Let me reiterate that this Hearing is a critical step in addressing the issues. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the operations of oil companies in our country are carried out in a manner that is sustainable, environmentally responsible, and respectful of the rights and welfare of the communities they operate in and the Country at large.
“It is also noteworthy, to emphasize that the Committees are not here to vilify any corporate entity but to ensure accountability, transparency, and adherence to environmental laws and regulations that govern the oil sector in our country. We aim to find solutions, hold the responsible parties accountable where necessary, and recommend the appropriate remedial actions.”
The lawmakers also frowned at the bureaucratic lapses observed in the Ministry’s operations in handling most of the erring oil companies.
In her presentation, Director from Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Rofikat Odetoro who raised alarm over the impacts of oil spill across the oil communities and the country at large, decried the increase in ageing-related ailments such as diabetes, heart and liver issues, among others.
While affirming that all the regulatory agencies work in silos, she harped on the need for the Parliament’s intervention with a view to engender synergy among relevant agencies in the bid to correct the past mistakes.
Mrs. Adetoro who denied knowledge of various operations being carried out by NUPRC, queried the rationale behind the issuance of two years permit to Aiteo despite the oil spill.
“Why must we give them a permit for badging for two years,” rather she noted that NUPRC should have issued the first permit for a period six months, with a proviso that the company should “take all measures necessary to put the right thing in place, since we are making money out of it.
“Instead, there is no way you will badge up to the Atlantic Ocean, you will not have spill and it will. Most of our people in that area are artisanal fishermen, and so on and so forth. So, what are we talking about.
“In light of the above, we have invited the Managing Directors of both Aiteo E & P Company and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (now Oando Oil Ltd) to this Hearing, to provide us with detailed explanations regarding their activities, particularly in their areas of operations.
“We expect full cooperation and transparency from all stakeholders in this process. We will also be hearing from environmental experts, and relevant government agencies, to have a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
“Let me reiterate that this Hearing is a critical step in addressing the issues. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the operations of oil companies in our country are carried out in a manner that is sustainable, environmentally responsible, and respectful of the rights and welfare of the communities they operate in and the Country at large.
It is also noteworthy, to emphasize that the Committees are not here to vilify any corporate entity but to ensure accountability, transparency, and adherence to environmental laws and regulations that govern the oil sector in our country. We aim to find solutions, hold the responsible parties accountable where necessary, and recommend the appropriate remedial actions.
While responding to question on whether the Ministry extended invitation to NUPRC during its operations, Mrs. Odetoro who answered in the negative, however said: “No, and that is what I said, that here, all of us are working in silos…but going forward, we need to walk together.”
To this end, she urged the Parliament on the need to review the extant legislation with a view to compel all the regulatory agencies to work harmoniously by putting the national interest first above primordial and individual interests in the bid to have sustainable solutions and in line with global best practice.
The delegation also affirmed that all the regulatory agencies recovered the money spent on joint investigation on oil spill from the joint venture account.
The delegation from the Ministry including NESREA and NOSDRA who corroborated the poor working relationship among the government establishments, presented document sent by NUPRC informing NESREA of the two years permit granted to Aiteo contrary to the presentation made by NUPRC Director, Mr. Ibrahim Yahaya.
While responding to inquiries from the lawmakers, Mr. Yahaya who earlier disclosed that NUPRC granted the first permit of six months to Aiteo to badge to avoid loss of about 90 percent of the 50,000 barrels per day oil production, however affirmed that two years permit was given to Aiteo to badge considering the criticality of oil production.
According to him, any attempt to ask Aiteo to shut down will have huge cost implications on the oil production target.
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