COMMUNITIES IN BAYELSA STATE CONTINUE TO COUNT THEIR LOSSES

As the people of Koluama 1, Koluama II, Ezetu 1, Ezetu II, Foropa, Ekeni, Sangana and Fish town, in Southern Ijaw and Brass local government areas of Bayelsa State continue to count their losses, following the gas explosion at an oil facility in Finuwa Oil Field, on the Atlantic, being operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, Chief Whip of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Konbowei Friday Benson, says the people in the affected communities have complained of having breathing problems and skin lesions.
While reacting to these complains from the affected host communities in Yenagoa, at the weekend, Hon. Benson, who also is the chairman, House Committee on Environment, Oil and Gas, decried the negative impact of such heavy gas leakage on surrounding communities, pointed out that gas flaring releases large amounts of methane, which has a high global warming potential.

The lawmaker, representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 4, appealed to both the federal and state governments to quickly come to the aid of the people by sending relief materials and Medicare to the affected communities in order to cushion the effect of the untold hardship they have been thrown into by the January 16, 2012, gas explosion in the area, even as he strongly urged the youths of the affected communities to remain calm.

He however, regretted that while gas flaring in developed countries has been minimized, it has grown proportionally with oil production in the country, adding that Nigeria accounts for about 50% of all industrial emissions and 30% of the total CO2 emissions.

According to him, research shows that methane is accompanied by the other major greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, of which Nigeria was estimated to have emitted more than 34.38 million metric tons in 2002 and that gas flares have potentially harmful effects on the health and livelihood of the communities in the vicinity, as gas releases variety of poisonous chemicals, such as and hydrogennitrogen dioxides, sulphur dioxide, with volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, xylene sulfide, as well as carcinogens like benzapyrene and dioxin.
The Chief Whip of the House, expressed reservation over the slow manner the company in question was going about containing the gas fire, informing that the state legislature was keenly monitoring all containment efforts being made by all stakeholders, pointing out that there has been no significant and effective effort put in place, on the part of the oil company operators to control environmental problems associated with the oil and gas industry, particularly in the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general.