A two-point resolution has been passed by the State House of Assembly calling on the Federal Government and Chevron Nigeria Limited to immediately send relief materials to all communities affected by the recent gas explosion at Kolokuma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. Also the House directed that a medical team be dispatched to attend to the healthcare need of the people. Following the urgency of the issue, Chevron was also asked to immediately put-out the fire and stop any leakages arising from the explosion and pay adequate compensation to the affected communities.
A representative of Southern Ijaw Constituency one, Mr. Kuroakegha Dorgu regretted that over a month after the gas explosion, the fire is still raging. He noted that even though over forty communities were directly impacted, Chevron sent relief materials to only eight communities, stressing that the people out of desperation are resorting to eating and dead contaminated fishes. Members were unanimous in their condemnation of the activities of oil multi-nationals operating operating in the state who shy away from their social responsibilities while paying huge taxes to other states.
The House also expressed regret that the extant laws of the country has imposed serious limitations on State Assemblies from legislating on such matters which falls under the exclusive legislative list, adding that such laws had to be amended to give states, which bear the brunt of the operations of these companies, the right to control their activities.
No comments:
Post a Comment