The member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Farah Dagogo, has queried the justification of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, to cancel the N4.5 billion Model School project in Bonny Island, Rivers State.
In a statement on Wednesday by the lawmaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ibrahim Lawal said, the NLNG had signed an agreement guaranteeing funding which was estimated at N4.5 billion.
According to the Lawmaker, the tripartite agreement reached among NLNG, the Rivers State Government and Tianjin Energy Resources Limited is also threatened and may be breached.
Bonny Island is home to NLNG’s train operations which has a nameplate capacity producing millions of tons of liquefied natural gas per annum that is shipped to buyers in markets across the world.
However, the Federal Lawmaker said the fate of the school is now in the balance following the resolution and approval of the NLNG’s third quarter meeting of this year by the Board for the ‘discontinuation of the Bonny Model School ‘ which he described as another manifestation of ‘perpetual slavery attitude’.
Farah Dagogo expressed dismay with the disposition of NLNG to the people of Bonny and the Niger Delta region at large wondering ‘what is N4.5 billion compared to the exploitation, exploration, degradation and the gas being flared in that area with its attendant hazard health implications?’.
He said just as NLNG is envisioning an expansion from its current Train 7 to 15, the living conditions of the people and environment where the resources are plough should be catered for.
“It is disheartening and painful that all NLNG, and other major players in the oil sectors, are interested in is to reel out big profits and margins while the people in their areas of operations are made to bear the brunt of their hazardous mode of operations.
“For several decades, they have caused more harms than good to the people. Their claims of joining the rest of the world to achieve a cleaner energy that will protect the planet are all hogwash and hollow designed to play on our intelligence as their actions have proven that they are working in the contrary.
“It tells you the level of regard NLNG have for the people, if a project of mere N4.5 billion could be discontinued, a school project at that, in an area they make billions of dollars.
“Our people are always at the receiving end, exposed to several health hazards, the environment has been totally debased with the future at very grave risk.
“And when they make effort to give back a very minute, very little, of what they have plough they make a big deal of it. That perpetual slavery attitude manifest,” he fumed.
He, however, said efforts are on to safeguard the future of the people through legislative applications.
“Oil exploration, gas flaring and what have you are having their effects on not only the people but on the environment as well.
“The earth is sagging due to enormous pressure and we have to secure the future beginning from now. Already I have a bill to that effect that has been transmitted to the leadership of the House. This bill titled Niger Delta Natural Disaster Reserved Fund Bill, 2020, hopefully, and with the support of my colleagues, will address some of those concerns,” he added.
