Lawmakers Urge NNPC to Put out ‘Unending’ Fire at Enugu Varsity

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries, including the Nigerian Gas Company to take urgent steps to put out the unending fire at the Caritas Lawmakers Urge NNPC to put out ‘Unending’ Fire at Caritas University, Amorji Nike, Enugu State for over 21 days.

The lawmakers also asked NNPC and its subsidiaries, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and all relevant agencies to undertake a detailed study of the environmental impact of the fire.

These resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, at plenary yesterday.

Okechukwu said that there has been unending fire suspected to be fueled by methane gas at the premises of Caritas University, Amorji Nike, Enugu State for over 21 days.

He noted that the fire, which has claimed one life, reportedly started on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, after borehole drillers engaged by the university struck a gas belt after about 1,242 feet below the earth.

The lawmaker also noted that all efforts by the Nigerian Civil and Defense Corps (NSCDC), federal and state fire services, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its state counterpart (SEMA) to put out the fire has failed, including pouring over twelve tanks of water with four drums of chemicals.

He was also worried about the environmental hazards that could be occasioned by this suspected gas flaring, bearing in mind the precarious situations in the Sout-south geopolitical zone.

The lawmaker said: “Aware that since the fire started, there has been no known intervention from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) or any of its agencies.

“Recall that pursuant to our laws, the federal government is responsible for underground mineral resources and deposits. Aware of the indications of available mineral deposits in the South-east coupled with the recent recognition of Anambra and Kogi States as oil producing states, hence the need to explore oil in the Enugu belt.

“Aware that experts have warned of the danger of the fire to the ecosystem as same could burn for 50 years. Alarmed that an estimated 5,000 cubic feet of gas is consumed every minute in the fire according to experts; Mindful of the commitment of the 9th House of Representatives to ensure delivery of value and make life less stressful to Nigerians.”

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to follow up and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.

Also at the plenary, the lawmakers adopted two separate motions calling on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Environment to urgently address the menace of flood in Misau/Dambam Federal Constituency in Bauchi State, and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to urgently intervene and rehabilitate the failed portions of the Afaha Obong-Iwukem road in Akwaibom to ease the hardship experienced by the people.

The motions were sponsored by Hon. Ibrahim Makama Misau and Hon. Aniekan Umanah, respectively.