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Senate to increase fine on oil spillage

A bill for an act to amend the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Act (NOSDRA) 2006 has passed second reading in the senate. The … Continue reading Senate to increase fine on oil spillage


A bill for an act to amend the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Act (NOSDRA) 2006 has passed second reading in the senate.

The bill when amended is expected to create a clear and specific regime of penalties and responsibilities for oil spills.

The sponsor of the bill, Senator Bukola Saraki, described oil spills as irresponsible environmental behaviour.

Senator Saraki in his presentation before the Senate on Wednesday stated that “an effective legislative framework for oil spill management needs to go far enough to ensure that apart from remedying the environment that it can provide enough deterrent for bad environmental behaviour.”

He further stated that the law should “make spilling intolerable”, as he decried the prevailing N1million fine oil spill as stipulated by the NOSDRA Act of 2006.

The former governor warned that the fine, “irrespective of the dimension and scope does not encourage environmental good behaviour neither does it create an adequate disincentive to oil spilling and environmental irresponsibility.”

Contributing to the debate, Senator Ayogu Eze suggested that officials in oil spill regulatory agencies who collude with oil companies to pollute the environment should face stiff penalties.