Apparently worried about the continuous flaring of gas in the Niger Delta and the consequent environmental and human damage, a group known as the Oil and Gas Host Communities Association (HOSTCOM) has called on the National Assembly to pass into law the much- expected Petroleum Industry Bill in order to correct the practice in the Niger Delta as well as ensure prompt payment of damages to affected communities.
Apparently worried about the continuous flaring of gas in the Niger Delta and the consequent environmental and human damage, a group known as the Oil and Gas Host Communities Association (HOSTCOM) has called on the National Assembly to pass into law the much- expected Petroleum Industry Bill in order to correct the practice in the Niger Delta as well as ensure prompt payment of damages to affected communities.
It was gathered that when passed into law, the Petroleum Industry Bill will compel oil companies to take necessary action and stop gas flaring which destroys ecosystems, land and people of the oil bearing communities.
At a meeting held in Port Harcourt recently, the group condemned the on-going gas flaring in their various communities, and task Federal Government to take all necessary actions to compel oil companies to address the challenge of gas flaring and to ensure compensation of victims of the action.
Chairman of HOSTCOM, Rivers State chapter, Chief Apolos Amadi blamed Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Deziani Alison- Madueke for allegedly causing delay in the payment of compensations to the host communities.
Engr. Amadi who was speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt shortly after the HOSTCOM meeting narrated the frustrations of benefiting communities in trying to claim their already approved compensations.
He appealed to all government departments including the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, Department of Petroleum Resources and others, to remove all the attendant bottlenecks stifling the payment processes and to settle the benefiting communities without delay.
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