House of Representatives to Probe JTF's Destruction of Illegal Refineries Equipment

House of Representatives to Probe JTF's Destruction of Illegal Refineries Equipment

 Today the House of Representatives concluded plans to constitute an ad-hoc committee to probe the activities of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta area, especially as regards to burning and destructing of equipment seized from illegal refineries operators.

The ad hoc committee will also determine the steps taken by the JTF in collaboration with relevant government agencies, to forestall further degradation of the region environment.

A motion sponsored by Hon. Douye Diri (Bayelsa PDP), Hon. Leo Ogor (Delta PDP) and 12 other colleagues, expressed concerned that the communities in the area suffer from the effects of wanton burning and destruction of oil tools and equipment seized from operators of illegal refineries by the JTF.

The lawmakers added that the burning, which is done without adherence to international standards, has caused environmental pollution, contaminated waters in the area affecting marine life, and destroyed farmlands, all of which have adverse effect on the economics of the area.

The motion was unanimously agreed on by the House, and also directed the ad hoc committee to investigate the activities of Nigerian Agip Oil Company with a view to ensuring that it carries out improvement of its facilities to forestall any such incident in the future and also determine the circumstance that led to the death of 14 people in Azuzuama community.

In a similar development, the House has urged the federal government to declare the Ogoni areas in the Niger Delta, as an environmental disaster zone, and implement an audit to assess the environmental damage in the whole of the Niger Delta.

This followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers PDP) and 59 others, who also sought the complete implementation of the UN Environmental Protection (UNEP) Report submitted to the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

Hon. James Faleke (Lagos APC) sought an amendment to the prayers as President Buhari already directed that $2 billion be released to kick start cleaning up and development of the region.