The House of
Representatives says it would investigate the state and age of the operational equipment of oil-producing companies in Nigeria.
The resolution was taken following a motion by the Goodluck Opia, praying for the need to reduce the increasing rate of oil spill and environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
Opia, who was arguing on the need to investigate oil pollution in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta Local Government Areas of Imo State said the areas were operational base of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
He said the areas suffered oil spillage and fire explosion which resulted in deaths and damages of property.
Opia stressed the need to investigate the state of equipment used by NAOC in its 50 years of operation in the communities.
He told the House that virtually all oil companies operating in the oil-rich Niger Delta region use substandard and outdated equipment which are unsafe and pollute the environment.
The lawmaker accused the oil firms of having little regard for the safety of lives and property of the host communities.
Supporting the motion, Hon Aliyu Magaji, emphasised the need to regularly check or monitor activities of the oil firms to ensure compliance with the extant laws regulating their operations.
“There is need to find out if these oil companies are actually doing what they are supposed to do”, he said.
He further noted that the guarantee standard which is crucial in averting poor maintenance services, there was also need to ensure that their facilities were monitored.
In his ruling, speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara said the investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the incident would be carried by an adhoc committee to be set up by the House.
According to the speaker, the committee would also investigate damages caused to the host communities and to determine the state of operational equipment used by Agip and other oil-producing companies in the affected areas.
The committee, according to Dogara, has four weeks to report back to the House.
It would also be recalled that Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) is also investigating the explosion which occurred recently in Agip facility in Ebocha, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The explosion resulted in huge damage and environmental pollution.
Agip has suffered some such explosions on its facilities thereby raising eyebrows over the state of its equipment.
Ebocha community staged protests against the company and called on the Rivers State Government to intervene in their plight.
The community also accused Agip of insensitivity to the safety of host people.

Chris Oluoh