Environmental Group Tasks FG On Agreements, Treaties

The National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills, (NACGOND), an NGO, has urged the Federal Government to always comply with international agreements and treaties on environmental issues.
Rev. Father Edward Obi, National Coordinator of NACGOND, Niger Delta made the call in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja, Thursday.
He stressed the need for the country to always comply with international agreements that would promote environmental activities and safety.
According to him, whenever Nigeria goes to negotiation table on climate change issues, one of the core weakness exhibited was its inability to determine its footprints.
“Nigeria fails to benefit from the Green Fund of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a result of its inability to comply with global agreements.
“It is expected that the expanded role of the agency which includes carbon inventor will address this challenge,’’ he said.
He said the nation’s gas sector required regulations, especially against the background that the country has more gas than oil, adding that it occupied an unenviable position in the global ranking on gas flaring.
Obi said that the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency‘s (NOSDRA) penalties to oil polluters are not adequate.
He said such punishment do not in any way compare to penalty for similar offences in other crimes, adding that the amendment of the agency would enable the NGO and other stakeholders to achieve their mandates.
The coordinator said that N500 was to be paid by a polluter for failing to report a spill within 24 hours occurrence of the spill.
He added that the agency imposed a maximum fine of N1, 000 for failing to clean-up the impacted site, describing such penalties as ridiculous and ineffective because it is meagre.
Obi, however, urged the government to look into the amendment of the NOSDRA Act, saying it would have positive effect in the activities of the oil companies.
“The amendment of the agency will play important role to the agency and other oil companies as well and will portend the right to expand it functional scope.