Dr Eunice Thomas (3rd from L) with the Ala-Uchi Women Development Initiative during the advocacy visit at weekend.
By Anietie Akpan
Women group in Akwa Ibom state has called on the Federal Government to bring to an end gas flaring in the Niger Delta region.
International Oil Companies (IOCs) like ExxonMobil, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and others for years now have been flaring gas in the region causing serious environmental and health hazards.
The group, “Ala-Uchi Women Development Initiative” based in Ibeno Local Government Area, one of the host communities to ExxonMobil in Akwa Ibom state raised the alarm when it carried out an advocacy visit on the Non Executive Director on the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Dr. Eunice Thomas at weekend in Ibeno.
The women group led by its president, Pastor Glory Thomas and Secretary/Programme Director, Mrs. Cecilia Samuel had registered their advocacy for flared gas in Ibeno community which it said is causing so much damage to their health and environment.
The group said such flared gas could be trapped into cooking gas for meaningful use.
It also requested for the provision of pipe borne water as borehole water which is the main source of domestic use in Ibeno communities, according to them, “has been contaminated by crude oil”.
The group, advocating for “clean environment, women rights, good governance, women inclusion in governance, clean and affordable drinking water for all,” also requested that a probe be directed at oil companies that are divesting from Ibeno as they are leaving behind underwater pollution, oil spill and failed oil infrastructures.
Furthermore, it wants “all divestment plans to be halted for the environment to be totally cleaned and remediated for human health and safety”.
While appreciating the concerns of the women group, Dr Thomas on her part, called on oil communities affected by gas flaring occasioned by exploration activities in the Niger Delta region to show more patience and trust the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as it intensifies efforts to bring lasting solutions to the issue of gas flaring in Nigeria.
Dr Thomas who is also in the Sustainability Sub-Committee of the NNPC, described the President as “gender-friendly and gender-sensitive”, assured them of his deep interest in the communities where exploration activities are being done.
She recalled that the President was clear about it when he inaugurated the NNPC Board of Directors on the need for adequate attention to be accorded these communities.
She said, “God brought President Tinubu at a time like this and for the sake of the people in communities affected by gas flaring”, referring to the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG) as one of the key initiatives of the President that strengthens his conviction that he means well for Nigerians.
The Pi-CNG is a component of the palliative intervention the President Tinubu administration directed at providing succour to the masses occasioned by the transitive hardships of fuel subsidy removal.
She also disclosed that the NNPC, through its Gas and New Energy Department is doing so much to ensure that flared gas is being compressed into CNG and reticulated for home use.
Acknowledging the impacts of IOC’s activities in communities and homes, she further pleaded with the women to continue to speak to their husbands, brothers and sons for more understanding as she assured that eventually they will testify about the leadership of President Tinubu.
Dr Thomas remind the women on the need for constant self-development and personal capacity-building to match opportunity when it comes.
She applauded the leaderships of the Senate and House of Representatives for its collaborative efforts at deepening women participation in legislative governance and representation at the National Assembly and sub national levels as recently, a bill to create additional 74 seats for women passed the second reading.
