A non-profit, non-political
and non-governmental organisation, Gas Alert for Sustainable Initiative (GASIN), has trained no fewer than 14 indigenes of Obie and Ebogoro communities in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on gas safety.
It also inducted 70 students of Egbema Grammer School, Community Secondary School, Obrikom, Community Secondary School, Mgbede and Community Secondatry School, Aggah as members of its Gas Alert Club.
At a public sensitisation programme on gas safety held at Ebogoro and Obie, recently, the Executive Director of GASIN, Rev Fr Edward Obi, said there is an urgent need to educate the people particularly in the host communities of Oil and Gas producing companies on the best safety approach to the issue of gas.
By so doing, he said, this would reduce the growing danger and inherent huge loss of lives and property through gas explosion and fire in such gas abundant areas particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
At the public sensitisation programme, made up of the community people, Federal Minsitry of Environment, National Oil Response, Dictation and Remediation Agency (NORSDRA) and other stakeholders, Obi said all have crucial roles to play in ensuring that international standards were being strictly observed and to protect lives and property in areas where gas exploration activities take place.
He advised the community people to refrain from farming or doing business on gas facilities or pipeline Right of Ways as such activities could result in gas explosion and fire that could consume the entire community.
He said the NGO was established by the Niger Delta Catholic Bishops’ Forum (NDCBF) and incorporated in 2012 with the vision to educate the public on clean and safe Niger-Delta in which natural resources are extracted and processed.
The organisation urged the local people to report to the appropriate agencies as NOSDRA, Ministry of Environment, or GASIN in the event of any gas leakages and not to resort to self help because of the dangerous and complex nature of gas to the environment when mishandled.
He particularly preached against any attempt to vandalise gas pipeline in protest against perceived unfair treatment of prospecting and producing companies in the area, emphasizing that the result of such actions could be catastrophic to lives and environment.
“We are alerting communities about the dangers of gas. God loves you all and deposited gas as resource for your development. So the awareness we create is that gas is a rich resource. But it is also very volatile and dangerous. Don’t joke with it. It is explosive and the fire it causes can consume entire community,” he said.
The Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Sir Cyrius Nkangwung commended GASIN for the awareness campaign and noted that such efforts where vital because of the environmental and health hazards it causes to the inhabitants of gas producing communities.
The NOSDRA Zonal Head who was represented at the event by Mr Augustine Bello urged all to join hands to save lives and environment and to respect laws guiding Pipeline Right of Ways, noting that oil companies had paid for the right of ways.
The Tide reports that in Obie and Egbogoro, seven persons each were inaugurated as Gas Alert Group and that the team coordinates safety in invent of gas leak and community members were advised to report issues concerning gas leakages to the team or government agencies for appropriate safety actions.

Chris Oluoh