NOSDRA DG tasks oil firms on regulatory compliance

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Chukwuemeka Woke, has put oil companies on notice, asking them to comply with environmental regulations or face the full force of the law.

Speaking during a familiarisation visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Headquarters in Rivers State yesterday, Woke said that as an agency established by Act of law, NOSDRA represents the Federal Government, and has a sacred mandate to regulate the oil industry’s environmental impact, and will not tolerate any form of non-compliance or disregard for regulations.

He added that no oil company is above the law, saying: “We will hold every operator accountable for their actions, and ensure that they adhere to the strictest standards of environmental responsibility.” 

He assured that his leadership will not be compromised by vested interests or industry pressure, or be cowed, saying that he is committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all oil industry operators, including International Oil Companies (IOCs), comply with NOSDRA’s regulations.

He said: “Let me address the issue raised by the head of the NOSDRA reference laboratory; I want to assure you that I am not the kind of DG that any oil company would take for a ride. 

“Any oil industry, be it IOCs, or anybody must comply with the regulations of NOSDRA. The agency is not just a private company but an establishment by an Act of law.”

So, we represent the Federal Government, and we are to regulate operations of the oil industry, as it relates to oil and gas pollution and spillage. Therefore, nobody or oil company is above the law.”