By Austin Ogwuda

Asaba – Governor  Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has charged the Federal Government to stop paying lip-service to issues of stopping gas flaring in the Niger Delta.

Amaechi, who spoke at a forum on climate change in Asaba, Delta State, also called for a constitutional amend-ment that would expressly allow communities suffering environmental degradation to monitor the attendant safety measures put in place.

He said: “Gas flaring is a Federal Government affair, because it is not within our (states) purview. They must get up and say gas flaring should stop because it has environ-mental consequences on our people.

”But let us leave the environmental consequen-ces. What about the economic consequences? Do you know how much gas we are losing? Do you know how many people in the DeIta region you can feed if you convert it to cash?

“The United Nations Environmental Protection Agency report showed 50 years of oil exploration in Ogoniland. I’m sure if similar studies are conducted elsewhere, the story may not be much different.

“Consistently, the multi-nationals refused to be good corporate people. They are still flaring gas despite several shifts in deadline. Government at all levels must begin to consider alternative energy sources.

”We must also review our legislation and ensure strict compliance by all stakeholders. This is our world and we have a responsibility to keep it safe.”

Amaechi added: “I always wondered if perhaps the unwieldy nature of our federalism is the reason we are unable to protect our environment. The man in Sokoto will only know the nature of desertification. He will not know what the man who has oil suffers.

“So let us have a constitutional amendment that will allow such things to be in the hands of those who suffer from it.”