{"id":8248,"date":"2013-08-13T01:39:44","date_gmt":"2013-08-13T01:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/kaduna-refinery-when-unrelenting-gas\/"},"modified":"2013-08-13T01:39:44","modified_gmt":"2013-08-13T01:39:44","slug":"kaduna-refinery-when-unrelenting-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/kaduna-refinery-when-unrelenting-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaduna refinery: When unrelenting gas"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The joy that greeted the revival of the Kaduna Refinery and Petro-Chemical Company, KRPC, after years of infrastructural decay may soon be over, as the relationship between the organisation and host communities is turning sour. AZA MSUE, writes that the indiscriminate gas flaring from the refinery is turning a major health hazard to the residents who are now fleeing the area in record numbers.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It is on record that Nigeria is the largest oil producing country in Africa and sixth largest in the world. More than 40 years after some oil refineries were built; gas flaring still persists in spite of the known health and environmental hazards.<\/p>\n

Communities within the vicinity of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, are not finding life easy due to indiscriminate gas flaring. Many residents are reportedly deserting their homes for safer areas.<\/p>\n

Residents of Kaduna, especially those living in their ancestral homes close to the refinery are raising alarm over the health hazard posed by this action. According to them, the poisonous gases emitted from the refinery chimneys hover dangerously in the air to more than 10 kilometre radius, thereby affecting many of the residents in the southern axis of the city.<\/p>\n

National Mirror observed that apart from the gas emissions, host communities like Rido among others, have remained among the poorest in Kaduna and environs, even when the refinery had created many multi-millionaires. Sadly, many of the indigenes live in slums and abject squalor and always in the constant shadow of unrelenting noxious fumes.<\/p>\n

Gas flaring is not peculiar to Kaduna; as it is more common in the Niger-Delta region where cities like Warri and Port Harcourt also experience the same hazards. Experts say that Nigeria currently flares 1.3 and 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day. This is only second to Russia that flares three times that of Nigeria.<\/p>\n

They claim that the damage to land, water habitat and humans due to constant gas flaring cannot be quantified. They say that even when adequate research has not been concluded on the effects of gas flaring on humans, the negative consequences on those living close to oil refineries are all too visible. The signs and symptoms include vomiting, cancer, lung diseases and asthma.<\/p>\n

They added that the emitted gases include nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid and nitrogen oxide, which combine with rainfall to cause damages to the soil.<\/p>\n

Experts have called on the Nigerian government to allocate enough funds to institutions for comprehensive research on such gases. The concern on gas flaring and environmental degradation has led to mass movements and activism, especially in the Niger-Delta region of the country.<\/p>\n

The gas being flared is a constituent of crude oil which experts say can be efficiently utilised as a valuable source of energy, but is continuously spewed into the atmosphere thereby worsening the impact of global warming.<\/p>\n

Even when subsequent administrations in the country have passed laws and issued deadlines for the cessation of gas flaring, oil firms have rather opted to paying fines rather than adopting modern technologies to end the menace.<\/p>\n

A report by Justice in Nigeria Now, JINN, an NGO, said since 1969, the deadline to end gas flaring has been shifted for more than five times. In Nigeria, where Shell has been burning off natural gas from their oil developments for 25 years, local people report a long list of environmental damages in addition to the health effects that they are suffering.<\/p>\n

According to reports, gas flaring is related to acid rain, crop failure, water pollution and a decline in the populations of many species of animals. The chemicals and toxins that are released from the burning gas inhabit the soil, water and plants of the surrounding areas.<\/p>\n

Unlike in more developed areas, where gas is flared between 50 and 75 meters above ground level to make the damage less noticeable by dispersing it, the flares in Nigeria are at ground level In 1995, renowned writer and activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed by the military administration of the late Gen. Sanni Abacha for oil related activism. Despite the hue and cry, the government has not taken notable steps at impressing on the oil companies to stop the practice.<\/p>\n

Early last year, a United Nations Environmental Programme Report, indicted the Shell Oil Company operating in the Niger-Delta for contaminating the soil and environment of Ogoniland in the past 50 years. A resident, Shehu Garba who lives close to the refinery, said the daily gas flaring has saturated the area with poisonous fumes which are now posing serious health problems to them.<\/p>\n

Garba said: \u201cPeople working there are big men and women driving exotic cars and using other expensive gadgets but abandoning us to die in our poor ancestral homes. We allowed the government to establish a refinery here, but not to force us out of this place. Our children are not employed in the refinery. Incidentally, the only ones benefitting in our community are the leaders who are not interested in our welfare.<\/p>\n

The continuous emission of carbon dioxide is causing skin cancer among the residents. In the morning, the gas always envelops the area like a dangerous mist, making it difficult for us to breathe; it is also the same in the evening. The odours are very pungent and overwhelming to bear. If we are eating, it is like we are swallowing the substance alongside the food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another resident in Malaban Rido, Mr. Joseph Anka, expressed fear that if urgent measures are not taken by the authorities, the residents might not be able to bear it for long. \u201cWe are calling on the government and refinery management to take immediate measures to stop this gas flaring, because what we are inhaling is poisonous and is capable of killing us all.<\/p>\n

Some tenants in this community have left, leaving only the landlords with no place to go\u201d. The Managing Director of KRPC, Bolanle Ayodele, who confirmed the hazardous practice of gas flaring, said they are concerned with the effects of this on humans and the environment, and are working at minimising the black smoke emission.<\/p>\n

But, Ayodele said it was not possible for the company to stop gas flaring completely. \u201cWe are aware of this problem and very soon, will correct it because we are also concerned about the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just some months ago, the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya visited the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company and set up a committee to investigate the alleged toxic waste dumped in Rido community, which was said to have led to the death of many birds in the area.<\/p>\n

Some media report had it that toxic waste dumped by the KRPC had caused the deaths of three persons and hundreds of chickens close to where the sludge was dumped in the community.<\/p>\n

However, the Principal Scientific Officer of Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency, KEPA, Maureen Oyedoja said the waste was not toxic, which was as the result of the laboratory test carried out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe arrived at KRPC with the Director of Laboratory Services and went to the dump site in question where samples were collected from three different spots into bags, and they are currently being analysed in our laboratory.<\/p>\n

So far, tests showed there was nothing toxic about the waste. For the meantime, we are still waiting for the final chemical analysis. And because of crisis in Kaduna, our staff are reluctant to come to work, that is why the final result is yet to come out\u201d.<\/p>\n

The minister who was represented by the Deputy Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, in the ministry, Kasim Bayero said, the need to embark on fact finding mission was because of the enormity of the allegation concerning the toxic waste which was alleged to have affected humans and animals.<\/p>\n

According to the minister, \u201cIt is always good to investigate issues properly and that is why we are here because sometimes when you read these things in newspapers, they may not be grievous as they are being presented, and sometimes they could even be more serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut where it raises serious concerns, it has to be followed up to know the actual situation, so that Nigerians can be informed on what is actually going on. So, this is essentially why we are here. \u201cAs earlier said, the fact finding mission is a direct instruction from the Minister of Environment.<\/p>\n

So far, we have undertaken a tour of the affected places. We went to where the waste was initially dumped, and where it was evacuated to. We also visited Rido community to meet the village head, we heard his own views, and all we gathered, will appear in our report including the recommendations and we hope it will take off from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the actions taken following newspaper reports particularly on the KRPC and KEPA are those that are geared towards ensuring that the problem is resolved, particularly for the fact that the environmental was at the site, took samples, analysed them in the laboratory, and we have seen nothing toxic for now, even though we were told that the chemical analysis is yet to be completed.<\/p>\n

We hope that by the time it is out, it would give a clear picture of the nature of the waste. But looking at it, they are more of office and domestic materials, which are not dangerous to health. But in the end, the laboratory analysis will determine the next line of action\u201d. Ayodele said the waste dumped by the company was more of solids than toxic as has been reported. \u201cWe are happy that you are here to see the so called waste dump.<\/p>\n

I want to say that reports have wrongly referred to it as toxic waste, it was solid waste generated from within our system, comprising broken furniture, stationeries and cooking materials.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are some of the things we have in our temporary dump site over the years.\u201d The Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Environment, Mallam Haruna Inuwa who visited the company over the alleged toxic waste, commended the KRPC for the various support projects such as primary schools blocks, clinic, borehole and toilets for the community, stressing that the company should not be discouraged from providing social amenities to the people, as there are still more to be done for the host community.<\/p>\n

KRPC had recently embarked on vaccination exercise of more than 5,000 children and adults against killer measles and meningitis in Rido community. Speaking during the exercise, KRPC Public Affairs Manager, Abdullahi Idris, said the company would not relent in its drive to provide Social Corporate Responsibility, CSR, to its host communities for peaceful coexistence and development.<\/p>\n

He said that apart from its youth empowerment and host communities electrification programmes, the company\u2019s desire to eradicate measles which has become a menace in the various communities, especially during dry season would remain a priority. Idris, said the KRPC has constructed school blocks, health centre as well as boreholes at various locations to alleviate the host communities\u2019 sufferings.<\/p>\n

————————————————————————————————————————-
Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: National Mirror Newspaper<\/p>\n

DisNaija.Com<\/b> publishes regular posts on Nigeria News,<\/a> Nigerian Newspapers,<\/a> Online Nigeria Gist.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow us on Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Nigerian Newspapers<\/a>
\n
\nFollow @Dis_Naija<\/a>
\n