Again, FG plans NOSDRA Act review

The Federal Government has proposed a second review of an Act establishing National Oil Spillage Detectives Response Agency (NOSDRA) to address emerging issues on environment.
 
Already, the Act was currently going through its first amendment due to omission of key players, which must be included to the make the legislation stands a test of time in the country.Minister of Environment, Suleiman Zarma who revealed this on a visit to agency, stated, “we have decided to change the ways of doing things in the ministry. The Act is already due for second review.”
 
He added, when amended, it would take care of underground tank leakage; act of pouring waste engine oil on the ground by mechanic, which causes land and water pollution.On the cases in courts, the minister urged the director general to request for lawyers to handle litigations against the agency, and pledged to ministry’s support for them to achieve it mandate.
 
Earlier, Director General of NOSDRA, Peter Idabor told minister that the agency has established ten zonal offices to supervise remediation exercise, especially in Niger Delta region.He regretted the issue of emission called soot and illegal refineries adding that as result air current in Port Harcourt City was very high, and has affected mostly children and adult.

On Ogoni clean up, Idabor regretted that host communities do not want to involve Shell Petroleum,  “This has become a challenge for the agency to monitor and evaluate the exercise.
 
“We have reactivated oil spillage deal with Cameroun. We do this in terms of oil in our waterways, by monitoring through a platform to record responses activities and is accessible to the public,” he said.He therefore, called on oil firms in Niger Delta to have emergency plan on ground so that whenever there are oil spills, they should be able to contend the situation before others would join them.