… threaten to sanction erring company

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has summoned the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to appear on May 8, 2024 over a probe on environmental degradation caused by the activities of oil companies in oil producing communities in the country.

The Chairman Committee on Environment, Rep. Pondi Julius Gbabojor, gave the summon on behalf of a Joint Committee of the House at an investigative hearing on the “Need To Investigate The Service And Unprecedented Environmental Damage Within The Communities”, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Also to appear before the joint committee are Chief Executives of some oil companies which include Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Total Energies, Oando Oil Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited Seplat Energy among others.

Also government agencies summoned include Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency, National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency.

The Joint Committee us made is of House Committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Climate Change.

Rep. Gbabojor said the matter to be addressed was critical, even as he threatened appropriate sanctions if those companies invited failed to turn up.

Only four out of the 35 oil companies and agencies invited for the probe showed up, at the commencement of the investigative hearing on Wednesday.

The National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency, however sent an excuse through a representative, but the others did not give reasons for their absence.

The Committee members however complained that even the four that turned up submitted the relevant documents a day before the hearing, not giving the lawmakers enough time to study it for the probe.

They rued the attitude of the oil companies and agencies saying it impeded efforts aimed at moving the country to a better place.

The chairman said, “We will do another letter to everybody. They should turn up to answer questions on issues pertaining to degradation of the environment due to the activities of oil companies.

“They have to be here on the 8th of May. If anybody fails to show up on, then we would not decide as a committee on what to do. I want to believe that there was enough time, two letters were sent, there was ample time for them to see the letters and duly honour. But for putting on a human face, we would still give another time to do so”.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in his opening remarks earlier said it was important that to protect the environment.

The Speaker was represented by the Deputy Minority Whip, Rep. George Ozodinobi.

He said, “I fully recognize the immense responsibility which befalls us as public servants to protect and safeguard our environment and meet the challenges posed by the ravages of environmental damages, and the need to balance economic prosperity and social responsibility to ultimately achieve equitable development.

“Also as representatives of the people, we must ensure that the voices of those most affected by environmental damage are heard and respected. We have to listen to the fears that are faced by frontline communities, indigenous people, and marginalized groups who usually bear the brunt of environmental injustice.

“It is therefore, for this reason that the House mandated the Committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Petroleum Resources (Downstream), and Climate Change, to investigate the environmental damage in oil producing communities caused by non-compliance to extant laws by oil producing companies.”