National Assembly Seeks End to Gas Flaring

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Leadership of the National Assembly said it was working seriously to ensure the reduction of gas flaring in Nigeria.

The Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change led by the Chairman, Senator Hassan Anka, recently hosted a “National Green Summit on Collection Action for Gas Emission Reduction and Climate Mitigation in Niger”,  in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In his remarks at the programme, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the time to end gas flaring was now in view of its effect on the environment and food security, saying the summit was timely following the increasing need for greater attention to questions about the country’s environment

Represented by Senator Frank Ibezim, Lawan said the country was blessed with all sorts of natural mineral resources, yet facing serious environmental challenge.

He said, “The interaction is coming at a time of increasing need for greater attention to questions about our environment, the importance of gas and the need to develop a carbon market framework as part of a continuing quest to harness the benefits of nature to improve living standards.

“I appreciate your recognition of the national and global impacts of these elements and their applicability to achieving the nation’s net-zero goals by 2060,” saying the theme of the summit was apt.

“There is no better time for us as a country to wake up. I will always wonder in the midst of plenty we have continued to go down as a nation. This is because we haven’t felt there is a necessity.

“This is a country that is blessed with all sorts of natural mineral resources, a country that is blessed with men and women who are quite knowledgeable. People when they leave the shores of the country to go to other countries where they excel and do the best they can.

“This particular summit is here to address all those challenges because the only reason we cannot have yield is because of environmental degradation. We have lost alot of natural products because we are flaring gas. Gas would have given us more in our economy yet we are flaring gas. Let start from somewhere, lets stop faring”.

Also speaking, the first military governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diette-Spiff recalled that at the Kyoto summit in 1997 it was agreed that all the greenhouse gases should be reduced, but that the developing nations were allowed to develop their own industries.

Spiff said “Because most of the multinationals do not see the need why they should stop gas flaring in Nigeria. They are standing under that umbrella that they are working in the developing countries.

“Nigeria has adopted a timetable of continuing gas flaring till 2060,” he said, even as he faulted the timeline.

Speaking further, King Spiff said: “I think that we have to think again. This meeting should be able to come up with a decision and I think it is about time to stop the gas flaring in Nigeria.

“We are losing too much revenue, we are causing so much damage to the ecology. We are causing so much health hazards, especially those in the oil producing areas”.

The former Rivers Governor offered to provide solution to gas flaring.

“The happy thing here is that this can be stopped. I, Alfred Diette-Spiff have friends who have told me that they can stop the gas flaring in one year. Gas flaring can be stopped in one year. All we got to do is all the flared gas be put into a compressor, trapped and it will come out as cooking gas, gutting, meting, etalon”.

Earlier in his welcome address, Senator Anka said the summit was to galvanize stakeholders towards strategic gas emission reduction and climate change responses that are consistent with our Nationally Determined Contributions, the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change, among others.