A university don and former commissioner of environment in Rivers State Prof Roseline Konya has called for the review of the laws and policies guiding oil and gas industry in Nigeria to reflect contemporary realities and promote transparency in the sector.
Prof Konya, who made the call while delivering a keynote lecture at  a special programme organised by The National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, in Port Harcourt, last Thursday, said the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) still operated the laws enacted in 1960.
The guest lecturer observed that most of the laws presently operating in the Nigeria oil and gas industry were obsolete and overdue for upward review to address the rising challenges in the industry.
Prof Konya, who was represented by Dr Stephen Nyenewa at the event noted that issues of environmental pollution in the Niger Delta were becoming increasingly worrisome and yet to be given deserving attention.
Prof Konya, who described the right to a clean environment as fundamental, decried the growing increase in the destruction and defacement of the  natural environment which according to her, resulted in the displacement of the natural means of livelihood of the people.
She recalled that as a child, she grew up in a clean environment where the people depended on the ecosystem for their daily survival.
She regretted that today, Ogoni land and by extension, the Niger Delta, has suffered untold light and total devastation of their natural environment.
The guest lecturer who described the theme of the event, “Clean the Niger Delta, Save our Women”, as apt, commended NAWOJ for their frontline role in advocacy towards protecting the environment.

Taneh Beemene