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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
The Nigerian Senate has added its voice to those of other stakeholders calling for an end the menace of gas flaring in Nigeria.
The continuing practice of gas flaring has been roundly condemned as a major contributor to environmental degradation prompting a wide range of stakeholders to demand an end to the practice.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Tuesday, at the National Green Summit on Collective Action for Gas Emission Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation in Nigeria – Call to Action held in Port Harcourt joined the demand to end the unhealthy practice.
Speaking at the event organized by the Senate committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Lawan, who was represented by Senator Frank Ibezim, said now was the time to end gas flaring in view of its effect on the environment and the danger to food security, adding that the summit was timely following the increasing need for greater attention to questions about the environment.
He stressed, “The importance of gas and the need to develop a carbon market framework as part of a continuing quest to harness the benefits of nature to improve living standards.
“I appreciate your recognition of the national and global impacts of these elements and their applicability to achieving the nation’s net-zero goals by 2060.
“There is no better time for us as a country to wake up. I will always wonder in the midst of plenty we have continued to go down as a nation. This is because we haven’t felt there is a necessity.”
He however said the country was blessed with all sorts of natural mineral resources, as well as men and women who are quite knowledgeable.
On his part, the former military governor of old Rivers State and Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Alfred Diete-Spiff, recalled that at the Kyoto (Japan) summit in 1997 it was agreed that all the greenhouse gases should be reduced, but that the developing nations were allowed to develop their own industries.
He said, “While the advanced countries, which make up about 17 percent of the global population, create as much as 65 percent of carbon dioxide and other negative gases that are depleting the ozone layer the developing countries were allowed a term in which to develop their own industries, and the advanced countries are taking advantage of that even here in Nigeria.
“Because most of the multinationals do not see the need why they should stop gas flaring in Nigeria they are standing under the umbrella that they are working in the developing countries.
“Nigeria has adopted a timetable of continuing gas flaring till 2060,” he said, even as he faulted the timeline.
The monarch added; “I mean the thought of it is frightening. Do you mean that we will continue flaring the gas with its waste of energy till 2060?
“I think that we have to think again. This meeting should be able to come up with a decision on that. And I think it is about time to stop the gas flaring in Nigeria.
“We are losing too much revenue, we are causing so much damage to the ecology. We are causing so much health hazards, especially to those in the oil producing areas.
“The happy thing here is that this can be stopped. I, Alfred Diete-Spiff have friends who have told me that they can stop the gas flaring in one year.
“Gas flaring can be stopped in one year. All we got to do is all the flared gas be put into a compressor, trapped and it will come out as cooking gas, gutting, meting, etalon.
In his welcome address, chairman, Senate committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Senator Hassan Anka, said the summit was to galvanize pertinent stakeholders towards strategic gas emission reduction and climate change responses that are consistent with our Nationally Determined Contributions, the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change, among others.
He added, “Specifically, the summit aims at harnessing ideas on possible legislative interventions to ensure that Nigeria meets her commitments under the Paris agreement as it relates to gas emission reduction.”
