The House of Representatives Committee on the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), yesterday, expressed concern over the continued non-implementation of key environmental provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

Chairman of the Committee, Julius Pondi, at an interactive session with a section of stakeholders in the National Assembly, warned that Nigeria risks deepening ecological devastation in the Niger Delta if urgent action is not taken.

Pondi said it was unacceptable that four years after the PIA came into force, the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund and the Environmental Remediation Fund, two mechanisms created to hold oil companies accountable for decades of environmental degradation, had yet to become operational.

Pondi disclosed that data before the Committee showed that the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund should by now have accrued between N850 billion and N1.1 trillion, while the Environmental Remediation Fund ought to have accumulated between N420 billion and N550 billion if implementation had commenced in 2021, as required by law.

“These figures represent lost opportunities to restore damaged lands, rehabilitate polluted ecosystems, provide potable water, secure communities, and protect the livelihoods of millions of people whose environments have suffered decades of neglect,” he said.

The lawmaker lamented that the consequences of non-implementation were already evident across the Niger Delta, including polluted farmlands, contaminated rivers, abandoned oil installations posing safety hazards, declining fisheries, and worsening public health conditions.

Pondi criticised the persistent lack of clarity and progress from regulatory agencies, such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), saying their performance had raised serious concerns about institutional capacity.

He revealed that the shortcomings of the agencies had prompted discussions within parliament and among national stakeholders on the need to establish a new, dedicated agency to administer the funds, as existing regulators continued to fall short.

“This Committee is determined to ensure that the intentions of the PIA and the SSDC Act translate into real benefits for the people,” Pondi stated.

The session brought together officials from the NUPRC, NMDPRA, NOSDRA, the SSDC, and the Ministries of Petroleum and Environment, with the aim of developing a coordinated and accountable framework for operationalising the funds.

Pondi, who decried the absence of heads of the aforementioned agencies at the session, assured that the House will remain firm in its oversight duties to ensure that environmental justice and sustainable development become realities for the affected communities. (The Guardian)