The Senate, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to introduce pollution tax on those involved in economic sabotage by engaging in illegal refining of crude products in oil-producing areas of the country.
The chamber also called on the federal government to sanction security agencies culpable of sabotaging the nation’s interest by vandalising pipeline installations and facilities.
These were part of resolutions reached by the Senate on a motion titled, “curbing soot’s particulate droppings, health hazards concerns and economic sabotage by illegal refining of crude products in Rivers State.”
The motion was sponsored by Senator George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East), and co-sponsored by seven other lawmakers.
Sekibo, in his presentation, noted that droppings of unidentifiable sooty particulates in Rivers State, suspected to be after-effects of incomplete crude refining process have taken a more dangerous dimension.
According to the lawmaker, an environmental audit due to the degradation of the environment has never been carried out since the commencement of the exploration and exploitation activities in the area which lasted for over 60 years.
He lamented that the attendant effect has left the contaminated environment “without hope of remediation.”
Sekibo expressed worry that, “the sooty particulate substances dropping in the State is becoming too visible that one cannot stay outdoors without receiving drops of them on his body.
“It has become more worrisome that they are seen on bedspreads in bedrooms, worktops in kitchens, chairs and other materials in houses, meaning that they are entering through every available crevice into inner spaces of buildings as the wind carries them.”
The lawmaker stated further that, “residents in Rivers State have noticed lots of these sooty particulates settling in their nasal tracts which has occasioned cleaning of their nostril several times in the day.”
“Concerned further that the amount of these particulates being inhaled daily by Nigerians resident in the State cannot be estimated just as the after-effects of their inhalation have not been determined.
“Disturbed that the sooty particulates are dropping on water bodies, farmlands and whatever is left open under the sky, which is detrimental to human health, as residents in the area are exposed to consumption of harvests from, both the seas and the lands as well as drinking rainwater and water from streams and rivers”, Sekibo said.
He also raised the alarm that “some security agents posted to secure these national assets have turned themselves to partners in these dastardly acts, thus giving the criminals impetus to openly commit this national economic crime.”
He, however, commended the Rivers State Government for taking the bold step to fish out those involved in the criminal act for prosecution.
He observed further that the issue of clean environment is one of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy of the Nigerian State as provided in Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Accordingly, the senate in a six-point resolution, urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to note that there is an impending environmental danger that is occurring in Rivers state and its environs orchestrated by miscreants who are engaged in illegal refining as well as looting national crude oil assets.
It urged the president to audit security agencies saddled with the responsibility of securing these assets but are involved in this national sabotage and for them to be sanctioned appropriately by the laws of the country.
The chamber further urged the president to use his constitutional power to support the Government of Rivers State in combating these criminal activities and fishing out national economic saboteurs.
It also urged the federal government to institute pollution tax that can be scientifically measured and the proceeds therefrom to part-finance the cleaning of the environment and provide medical care to the affected communities.
