…Restates commitment to Ogoni cleau-up

By Caleb Ayansina

ABUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, unveiled a new technology to aid rapid response to oil spill and prevent further degradation of the environment in the Niger Delta region.

Minister of Environment, Mrs. Aisha Mohammed, who spoke in Abuja, at a two-day National Workshop on Oil Spill Trajectory Modelling in Maritime Environment in Nigeria, explained that the modelling technique would help determine the direction of oil spill in the maritime environment.

Represented by Director-General of NOSDRA, Mr. Peter Idabor, the Minister attributed the increasing level of oil spillage in Nigeria to illegal bunkering activities, artisanal refining, oil theft and armed militancy.

She said: “The use of oil spill modeling techniques in predicting the direction of movement of spilled oil in the marine environment is quite a laudable innovation. Although it is difficult to accurately predict or simulate actual events, this tool presents a very valuable opportunity for both oil spill preparedness and response activities. There is a growing level of oil spill incidents caused majorly by activities of illegal bunkering, artisanal refining, oil theft and armed militancy. There is need for development of capacity to deal with the challenges that may be presented by oil spill. This workshop is, therefore, timely and a welcome development.”

On the Ogoni clean-up exercise, the Minister said the Federal Government was committed to the exercise and would even extend it to other parts of the country affected by oil spillage, while reiterating government’s determination to work with other stakeholders.

“As a demonstration of the commitment of this administration to oil spill management in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari recently kick-started the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme Report on Ogoni land. This gesture will be extended to other parts of the Niger Delta that have been devastated as a result of oil spillage and indeed across the country.”