Members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, expressed grave concern over the quality of work done so far on the Ogoniland clean-up.
The lawmakers expressed the concerns during the interactive session with the Director-General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr Idris Musa and Minister of Transportation, and other regulatory agencies, held at the instance of the House Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, chaired by Hon Ibrahim Hamza.
In his remarks, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Benjamin Kalu, who frowned at the work done so far and public outcry on the exercise, said: “DG, you were there before we brought the UN.
“With the work that is being done there, are you satisfied because I was there myself with my team; I’m of the climate change committee I was there and the community were complaining about the remediation programme going on now. And I’m saying, as the regulator are you satisfied?”
In his response, the NOSDRA Director General who was represented by Director on Assets Safety & Mitigation said: “so far with those that have been closed out, the ones that have been completed, we are satisfied with that.
“But unsatisfied with this response, Hon. Kalu observed that: “what were you referring to that you are not 100% satisfied?”
Speaking further, the NOSDRA helmsman said: “Definitely the entire process is slow, let me use that word. Because from UNEP recommendation, it should have taken us 5 years to do the remediation and another 25 years for nature to handle the rest, to restore the environment.
“And UNEP submitted the report in 2011, of course, due to some other issues, this actual clean up did not start until 2017/2018, so we lost how many years, bickering on which Ministry should handle this clean-up.
“But good enough the project is presently moving and we do hope that very soon we are going to have almost 100% coverage of the entire impacted area. I mean if they award 100% of the area.”
Yet unsatisfied with his response, Hon. Kalu said: “DG, my issue is not about the award, it is about the quality of work done on remediation. You mentioned that you agree with me that the speed is not what it suppose to be. I am asking you as a regulator, are you satisfied with the quality of work done there so far. You know the consequences of this job not being done properly? The livelihood of the people in those communities are affected, our interest as a parliament is mainly about the people because it’s the people’s parliament and as long as we keep receiving concerns and cried and hunger expressions on the need gaps need to be blocked, we will always raise our voices to them.
“I was there myself and I saw the work that was done and I’m saying the communities complained and I myself complained. As a regulator are you saying you are satisfied with the quality of the clean up going on and for the sake of the Nigerian people living there because we will hold you responsible since you are regulating them, if at the end of the job and you approve them and the lives of our people are at risk. You need to answer Nigerians,” Hon. Kalu said.
“Sir, my answer to the question is very direct I said for the areas that have been cleaned up and completed, we are talking from the scientific perspective, you see if you say people are happy or people are not happy, it’s going to be a relative thing. I don’t know whether we are able to do a real sample, we will still go there to carry out a sample about the people.
“But like you rightly said, the whole exercise is for the people and we are going to look at why are they not happy? Perception and reality are basically the same. But if you look at the 21 sites we are satisfied. If you take the PTH of those sites, they are within the acceptable limit so to that extent I think we are satisfied.”
When asked whether the people can drink the water and embarking on the fishing business, he said: “I think you are aware of the environment of the Niger Delta, the offshore environment the swamp environment and the marine environment within the Niger Delta and if you look at this thing very well, surely when you get to the raining season, there’s no way somebody can do any activity within such area as we speak. But the areas that have been certified, after a period of time, people can continue to do their activities.”
On the exact time when the farming activity can start, he said: “I don’t know but I want to assure you that in a couple of years.”
Unsatisfied by the explanation, Hon. Kalu said: “If we are spending money for the cleaning up exercise, and the people cannot drink from their water and cannot farm on their land, they cannot fish from their waters, what is the essence of the clean-up? And I asked you can people can now fish in their water, you are not able to answer that question.
“Do we say you are regulating well in that instance or there is still something is not done because the villagers don’t want to hear about that your scientific analysis., they want to go back to their farms, they want to fish whether raining season or dry season. For an exercise that is going on for a number of years, we cannot confidently say, that by now our people can go back to the farm. I’m from Niger Delta, if my people cannot go to the farm they cannot fish and drink their water and they are still falling sick, then there is something wrong, so the regulator, are you regulating well?”
In his response, the NOSDRA Director General’s representative said: “Honourable member I just want to appeal to you that I didn’t know I would be faced with the issue of clean-up. I was thinking we are going to look at the issue of safety and standard, if I’ve known that issue of Ogoni would come up I should have come with the Director who is directly in charge of this cleanup exercise.”
In the same vein, the lawmakers chided authorities of the Federal Ministry of Transportation over its failure to effect the implementation of the National Road Safety Policy in the country.
The Minister of Transportation, Hon Rotimi Amaechi who was represented by Director Transport Planning and Coordination, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr Mercy Ilori, however, disclosed that the policy has always been in draft form since the beginning of the Ministry, and currently before the Vice President.
To this end, the Committee requested documents on NOSDRA gazetted safety regulation and compensation on oil spills paid to affected oil-producing communities.
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