By Udora Orizu
The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the non-inclusion of waste management and sludge disposal in numerous projects by international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the Need to Investigate the Non-inclusion of Waste Management and Disposal in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Train 7 Project,’ sponsored by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi.
Presenting the motion, Adamu put the estimated cost of the project at $10 billion.
He said the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the NLNG Train 7 project had been signed, adding that the project is currently at the stage of sign-off by NLNG to Saipem, Chyoda and Daewoo (SCD), as a consortium.
However, the lawmaker expressed concern that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) did not cut across the two host communities of Finima and Bonny.
Gagdi said the EIA only covered NLNG industrial area and residential area, EPC’s residential camp and project site.
He added that the project did not consider the treatment of sludge generated from industrial and human waste.
“The issue of industrial waste and sludge disposal by the IOCs and NOCs has remained a perennial problem, which has caused a lot of environmental hazards in our host communities. Human lives are threatened by the failure of these companies to comply with internationally accepted standards and subversion of Industry regulations,” he said.
