Okowa Decries Gas flaring in Delta, Calls for Restriction

Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa

The governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has decried the effects gas flaring in the state.

Governor Okowa made his position known November 26 2018, in Asaba when participants of Course 41 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji led by Major-General Felix Edafioghor paid him a courtesy visit.

The State governor said that gas flaring has caused a lot of damage to the environment as well as health of Deltans, adding that such move will create job opportunities in the area.

Okowa said “if you go to where gas is flared, which is still very common, you will understand why we need to be more serious about taking decisions as to stop the flaring.”

Continuing, he said, “the oil economy has impacted negatively on our environment because, in the course of exploration the environment has greatly been damaged and this has also been worsened by the regularity of illegal bunkering that takes place in the state to which a lot of damage is done to our environment and that in itself constitutes both an agricultural hazard and also health hazard to the people.”

He added that “”Stopping gas flaring will be so much better for our people, because, the flared gas in itself has already destroyed the environment, not just the natural habitat in terms of farming, it has also polluted very badly the air that we breathe and only God knows the level of damage that it has caused and we believe that the laws must be implemented in such a manner that gas flaring is not just tied up to fines because, as long as gas flaring is tied up to fines and the oil companies begin to realise that it may be cheaper or easier to pay the fines than to stop the flare of gas, then, we obviously are not discouraging them”.

Earlier, Major-General Edafioghor told the governor and members of the state executive council that the team was in the state for an environmental study tour as part of the fulfilment of their training programme.