Stakeholders Seek Urgent End to Gas Flaring in Niger Delta 

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City 

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Environmental Right Activists and other critical stakeholders at the weekend in Benin City, Edo State, called for urgent need by the federal government to put an end to gas flaring because of the dangerous health hazards it poses to the people of the Niger Delta region. 

The concerned groups re-echoed the call at a one-day electoral dialogue on gas flare penalties, Green House emissions and Nigeria’s National determined, contribution and commitment held in Benin City.

The dialogue also focused on the need for, “The Accountability for Gas Flared and Clean Energy Advocacy, (AGFACEA), project.”

Setting the tone for the deliberations, the Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Mr. China Williams, in his welcome address stressed the need to end what he described as, “resource curse syndrome.”

He said, “The first civil case filed in any Nigeria Court to demand for end to gas flaring was at the Federal High Court here in Benin City in the case of Jonah Gbemre V. Shell with favorable judgement ordering an end to the practice made by the court in November 14th, 2005, exactly 10 years, four days after the state murder of late Ken Saro Wiwa.

“That judgement though still on Appeal, has formed the bedrock for the campaign to end gas flaring in Nigeria and has led to lots of policy and legislative works towards ending out rightly, gas flaring or making it a national income earner for Nigeria.”

The Goldman Environmental Prize (Green Novel Prize), winner also commended the unique position of the Oba of Benin to the agitation to end flaring of gas. 

“We therefore urge our participants to review the issues of gas flaring, her negative environmental footprints, health impact consequences and economic losses as well as any advantaged or potential opportunities in appropriate harnessing of the flared gas,” he declared.