The Senate, on Tuesday, described as unacceptable, the oil spillage caused by AITEO Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited in Bayelsa State.
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The red chamber has therefore urged the relevant agencies to invoke the maximum penalties applicable under the laws for such infractions.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, stated this at plenary during his concluding remarks after the upper chamber passed a resolution on the unfortunate incident.
Lawan also called on the Federal Government through its agencies to penalise any indigenous oil companies responsible for the devastation of host communities where they operate.
The Senate President said that the National Assembly would insist on companies carrying out their corporate-social responsibilities to host communities under the law.
He said doing so would also involve penalising any company that fails to adhere to operational standards set out by the federal government.
He said, “I feel very sad, that an indigenous oil company for that matter, would be involved in this kind of incident and yet not able to show any capacity.
“As a country, we want to promote our local content – indigenous oil companies – to participate in this industry.
“But we are going to insist, whether it is an indigenous owned company any or an international one, that the companies must be responsible to the communities and to us as a nation.
“This is a devastation of lives and ecosystems in that part of the country.
“I believe that this particular case should be made to be an example of what government and its agencies can do, not only to force the alleged culprit to remedy the environment but also to penalize the oil company for devastating the lives of the people of that area (Nembe),” Lawan said.
The Senate, accordingly, urged AITEO Eastern Exploration and Production Company Nigeria Limited to urgently seek, explore, and deploy the relevant highest level of expertise and technology to stop the spill and prevent the continuous damage to the environment and restore the life support system of the people.
It also condemned in totality the oil spillage by AITEO and urge the relevant agencies to invoke the maximum penalties applicable under the laws for such infractions.
The chamber urged the relevant agencies to undertake an environmental impact assessment to determine the extent of the pollution with a view to undertaking remediation in accordance with the internationally accepted polluter pays principles within ninety days.
The Senate further resolved that the National Emergency Management Agency should, as a matter of urgency, provide relief materials as this ugly incident has taken a negative toll on the health and wellbeing of the people of the host communities which can be declared as a disaster area.
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