Three thousand two hundred and three oil spills were recorded in the country between 2006 and 2010, the Minister of Environment, Mr John Odey, disclosed on Monday.

Odey said this at the National Stakeholders Workshop on National Regulations and Guidelines for Oil Spill Recovery, Clean-up, Remediation and Damage Assessment in Abuja.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Biodun Olorunfemi, he said the Federal Government would not continue to tolerate the “mindless” damage caused to the environment by oil spills. He underscored the dangers posed by frequent oil spills and their threat to the environment and health of the citizens.

“The Federal Government is worried about the increasing rate of oil spillages in our environment. It has been recorded that between January 2006 and June 2010, 3,203 oil spills have been reported. Twenty three per cent of the spills were caused by equipment failure and operational/maintenance error, while 45 per cent has been attributed to sabotage and vandalism,” the minister said.

Odey said that the recent oil spill which occurred in Bonny, Rivers State, called for urgent and effective steps by all stakeholders to contain incessant and needless spate of oil spill in the country.
He said that the guidelines, when developed, would ensure a holistic approach to the management of spills, wastes, remediation and environmental damage assessments of oil impacted sites. He said that while the government would not impose any sanctions on the facilities of operators in the oil and gas sector, it would not hesitate to enforce strict compliance with all environmental laws and regulations.

The Minister, therefore, called on all establishments to abstain from polluting the environment and instead, forge an alliance with ministry to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment. Earlier, in her address, Mrs Uche Okwechime, the Acting Director-General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), said the agency had embarked on the development of regulations and guidelines that would ensure a holistic management of oil spills.

Okwechime said NOSDRA was working in collaboration with the UNDP on the project. Also speaking, Rep Duro Faseyi, the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, called for an effective oil spill management plan to curtail the frequent oil spills in the country.

In his remarks, UNDP Deputy Country Director Janthomas Hiemstra appealed to all industry operators to imbibe the principles contained in the regulations and guidelines for the purpose of environmental sustainability.

“This is necessary, if we are to achieve any form of meaningful development, not only in the Niger Delta region, but also in the country as whole,” he stressed.