HOSTCOM tasks IOCs on specific commitment to end gas flares

HOST Communities Producing Oil and Gas in Nigeria (HOSTCOM) has tasked international oil companies (IOCs) to make specific commitment to end gas flaring in the country.

It drew attention to the impacts of gas flaring on the environment, ecosystem, climate change, agriculture, cultural heritage, livelihoods and health of oil and gas producing states and communities of the Niger Delta.

National President of HOSTCOM, Chief Benjamin Style Tamanarebi, highlighted the consequences of gas flaring at the House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee hearing on ending gas flares.

He disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, saying there was the need for being proactive in ensuring that the oil companies commit to an early date for ending gas flaring in the region.

Tamanarebi said: “More worrisome is the inconsistency in the dates to end gas flaring, which has just been shifted again to 2025. The way and manner in which host communities are given little or no regard in the petroleum investment without recourse to their livelihoods and sustainable development is despicable and unacceptable.”

“A special technical regulatory compliance monitoring unit should be set-up comprising representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ministry of Environment, NOSDRA, House Committee on Environment/Habitat and HOSTCOM.”

“ Its terms of reference, among others should include that the local regulatory laws and policies be reviewed in line with the UNFCCC CDM criteria and other international laws and regulations to enhance the sustainable development of HOSTCOM.

“That the penalty funds be remitted to the host communities and gas utilisation nodes provided for the them to enhance their livelihoods and social advancement,” he stated.

He also pointed out that a cryogenic plant model be installed on all the fields to end gas flaring, recover as well as optimise flared and natural gas.

He, however, expressed satisfaction with the acknowledgement of the Ad-hoc Committee Chairman, Hon. Nicholas Mutu, Minister of State Petroleum, Minister of Environment, Group Managing Director of NNPC GMD and Director of DPR over the operating companies remarks on the effects and impacts of gas flaring on the environment, ecosystem, climate change, agriculture, cultural heritage, livelihoods and health of the host communities.