Governor Okowa of Delta State, has called for a more decisive and serious actions to end the issue of Gas flaring in Delta State and the entire Niger Delta region.
The Governor said this on Monday while receiving some participants from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji led by Major-General Felix Edafioghor, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office in Asaba Delta State, over the issue on Gas flaring.
Delta State is one of the leading Oil and Gas producing States in Nigeria, and also a State whose people have suffered environmental hazards, and material loss as a result of the continued Gas flaring in the State and the entire Niger Delta region.
Governor Okowa while speaking on the issue when he received the delegation on the issue of gas flaring,said:
“We need to be more serious about taking decisions that will stop gas flaring as it will be so much better for our people” he said.
Stating further, Governor Okowa said:
“The flared gas in itself has already destroyed the environment; not just the natural habitat in terms of farming, but has also polluted very badly the air that we breathe.”
Laws must be implemented in such a manner that gas flaring is not just tied up to fines so the oil companies don’t think it may be cheaper or easier to pay the fines than to stop the flare of gas.
I appreciate the Course 41 participants and I believe that their findings will be useful to the government and people of the Delta State.” He said.
Aside the issue of Gas flaring, there is also a bigger issue that has lingered for decades without lasting solutions. This is the issue of environmental hazards caused by pipeline vandalization, illegal oil bunkering and burning of these illegal bunkering camps and badges by security forces, add to damage the environment.
There have been talks on cleaning the Niger Delta area, especially the Ogoni area in Rivers State, but little has been hearded about the project.
We are still waiting to hear and see where all these leads to at the end of the day