The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to implement safe disposal methods for petroleum products confiscated from oil thieves during security operations.
This call came after a motion was adopted on Thursday regarding the “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.”
The motion was introduced by Bayelsa lawmaker, Marie Ebikake.
While discussing the motion, the Peoples Democratic Party representative expressed concern over the alarming increase in crude oil theft and the activities of illegal refineries, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
According to her, these issues have resulted in a daily loss of billions of naira.
Ebikake condemned what she described as “the active participation of the very security personnel tasked with eradicating this economic sabotage.”
She criticized the “standard practice of reintroducing seized crude to the environment, and the professional incineration of vessels and illegal refineries, and seized crude oil,” stating that these actions further harm an already devastated ecosystem.
She added, “The House is worried that the combined effects of illegal refineries and oil theft, along with the unprofessional disposal of crude oil and related materials by the Joint Task Force, are directly contributing to the increasing toxicity levels in the Niger Delta environment.”
“In the view of environmental and health experts, this is the primary cause of further depletion of the mangrove vegetation, poor crop harvests, the destruction of aquatic and other marine lives, the rising cases of neo-natal mortality, liver and lungs poisoning, breathing difficulties, kidney damage, skin ulcers from acid rains, increased blood pressure and muscle weakness.”
The motion received overwhelming support from lawmakers during plenary. As a result, the House, led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, urged the Federal Government to “cease environmentally harmful practices and adopt eco-friendly and professional methods for disposing of crude oil and associated materials seized during security operations.”
Additionally, the House directed security agencies to incorporate environmental experts into the Joint Task Force to oversee the disposal of seized crude.
This crude could also potentially “be reabsorbed into the national oil stock to reduce the incidents of crude oil spills and mitigate further pollution in the Niger Delta environment.”
The House also called on the National Assembly to consider amending the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 to require oil companies to allocate a portion of employment opportunities for eligible members of host communities.
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