The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Chukwuemeka Woke, has called on oil companies to comply with environmental regulations or face the full force of the law.
Speaking during a familiarisation visit to the agency’s zonal headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, Woke said NOSDRA has a sacred mandate to regulate the oil industry’s environmental impact and would not tolerate any form of non-compliance or disregard for regulations.
Insisting that no oil company was above the law, Woke said: “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 would not be compromised by vested interests or industrial pressure, or be cowed, saying he was committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all operators, including International Oil Companies (IOCs), complied with NOSDRA’s regulations.
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He said: “Having said that, 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. NOSDRA is not just a private company but an establishment by an Act of law and so we represent the federal government and we are to regulate the operations of the oil industry as it relates to oil and gas pollution and spillage and so nobody, no oil company is above the law.
“If they want to think they can reach me, I am not the type of DG that they would reach. So let the message go very clearly now, we must do the needful, they must grant you access to take samples and we must get the results. Be rest assured that you are protected as long as you are committed to your work.”
The DG also addressed members of staff of the agency and assured them of his commitment to taking the agency to the next level.
Woke was conducted round the office by the Zonal Director, Ime Ekanem, and the Head of the NOSDRA Reference Laboratory, Dr Kenneth Aroh where he visited the analytical, microbiological, Ecotoxicological, and Web-Chemistry labs.
He expressed gratitude to the employees for their dedication to work and promised improvements in equipment and staff welfare.
He said: “I have come to see things for myself, and I assure you that there will be improvements,” he said. “But I need your commitment to work because your productivity output is what I will be appraised with at the Ministry of Environment.
“I am the one, who will decide on your promotions. Your work will be assessed, and I will say yes or no to your advancement. My true allies are those who are committed to their work. I eagerly anticipate seeing your accomplishments.”