By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Federal government to halt environmental hostile practice for an eco-friendly and professional method of disposing crude oil and allied materials seized, in the course of security operations.
The House also urged the security agents to include, in the Joint Task Force, environmental experts to supervise the disposal of seized crude which could, as well, be re-absorbed into the national oil stock, to minimize the incidents of crude oil spills and curb further pollution of the Niger Delta environment.
The House mandated the National Assembly to consider an amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021 to mandate the oil companies to reserve a quota of employment opportunities for eligible indigenes of host communities, as this guarantee of economic security will, expectedly, make pipelines vandalism less attractive.
It also mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled, “Need for the Professional Disposal of Crude Oil and Associated Materials Recovered from Oil Thieves and Operators of Illegal Refineries, by the Operation Delta Safe Joint Task Force” sponsored by Hon. Marie Enenimiete Ebikake.
The House noted the alarming rise of crude oil theft and the operations of illegal refineries, predominantly in the Niger Delta region and the daily loss of billions of naira as a result of this obnoxious enterprise;
Also notes the news of the active participation of the very security personnel task with eradicating this economic sabotage.
It was concerned that the standard practice of reintroducing seized crude to the environment, and the unprofessional incineration of vessels and illegal refineries, and seized crude oil cause further damage to a highly devastated ecosystem, and has proved ineffective as deterrence to crude oil theft and the operation of illegal refineries.
