Environmental Assessment: Imo Govt. charges Petroleum Marketers on annual Compliance

Alex Ibeh
The Imo State Government through the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation has charged the Petroleum Marketers in the state to ensure that they Comply with the extant law to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on their facilities.

The Commissioner who gave this charge when the Executives of Imo State Petroleum Marketers and Dealers Association paid him a visit in office, along Portharcourt Road, Owerri on Friday 25th October, 2024.

This was contained in a released signed by the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Onwuka, V. O. and made available to Daily Star Online Newspapers.

Speaking during the meeting, Emenike reiterated Government’s decision to collaborate with all stakeholders in the oil and gas sector towards a greater Imo.

He pointed out that there are environmental regulatory standards to be adhered to in the sector and through which the IGR of the State is enhanced.

According to him, all business are enjoined to discharge their transactions in strict compliance to environmental regulations.

Barr. Emenlike charged them to ensure that they fulfil all environmental regulatory requirements for new facilities and the annual Environmental Assessment/Audit for existing ones.

He pointed out that it is the sole responsibility and statutory role of the Ministry to certify/review all environmental regulatory documents in the state and generate the applicable revenue.

The environment boss expressed dissatisfaction with other government agencies collecting and encroaching into the statutory responsibilities of the Ministry. He used the opportunity for partnership between the Association and the Ministry.

Earlier in his address, the leader of the delegation and State Vice Chairman of the Association, Chief Eze Temple, commended the Ministry for its giant stides towards the improvement of service delivery since the inception of the present Administration. He called on the Ministry to check the prevalence of double taxation and overlap of responsibilities by government agencies in the area of environmental regulation. Chief Eze also assured the Ministry of the Associations’ willingness to collaborate in ensuring that the petroleum market contributed their quota to the success of the Ministry and overall development of the Sate.

In his contribution, the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment & Sanitation, Mr. Chukwuma Iheanacho stressed the need for members of the Association to fulfil all necessary environmental regulatory responsibilities required of them by the State Government.

The Acting Permanent Secretary explained that the Ministry should be a one-stop shop for environmental matters in the State, describing it as an abbreration for other government agencies to encroach on the core mandate of the Ministry .

Those present were representatives of Departments of Environmental Standard Regulation, Ecology, Accounts, and the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry.