Oil-producing communities suffer environmental degradation -Reps

By Mercy Aikoye

The Joint House Committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources Upstream, Petroleum Resources Downstream and Climate Change say oil-producing communities in Nigeria have suffered environmental degradation and socio-economic marginalization as a result of decades of oil exploration and exploitation.

The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Environment, Mr. Julius Pondi, disclosed this in Abuja during his opening address at the public hearing on the need to investigate service delivery and unprecedented environmental damage within oil producing communities.

Mr Pondi stressed that despite the laws and regulations put in place to protect the Nigerian environment and the established government regulatory agencies mandated to address these concerns, environmental damage in oil producing communities continues unabated.

He said it is the duty of the National Assembly, as representatives of the people, to identify the errant organizations, hold those responsible to account and take decisive action to alleviate the living conditions of the voters.

The committee chairman notes that the hearing is not intended to hound a company, but to provide clarity on the issue that has been brought to the attention of the committees and the House of Representatives.

Mr Pondi urged all stakeholders present to approach the hearing with an open mind, a spirit of cooperation and a commitment to seeking the truth.