Reps query non-implementation of PIA environmental funds
The House of Representatives Committee on South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has raised concerns over the non-implementation of key environmental funds under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Julius Gbabojar Pondi, speaking at an interactive session on Tuesday in Abuja, said the failure to operationalise the abandonment and decommissioning fund and the environmental remediation fund threatens environmental justice and sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
He noted that four years after the PIA became law, neither the NUPRC nor the NMDPRA has shown clear progress on activating the funds.
Data before the Committee shows that ₦850bn to ₦1.1trn should have accrued to the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund, while ₦420bn to ₦550bn should have gone into the Environmental Remediation Fund.
Pondi said the delay represents lost opportunities to clean up polluted lands, restore ecosystems and protect the livelihoods of affected communities.
He lamented that Niger Delta communities continue to face contaminated farmlands, polluted rivers, abandoned oil facilities and worsening health challenges.
The session, a continuation of an earlier meeting suspended due to the absence of key regulators, drew officials from the NUPRC, NMDPRA, NOSDRA, SSDC and the Ministries of Petroleum and Environment.
Pondi revealed that Parliament is considering creating a new agency to manage the funds if existing institutions continue to fall short.
He said the Committee expects clear commitments and timelines from all stakeholders and vowed that the House will sustain strict oversight.
