Residents of Unyenge, an oil-producing community in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have demanded access to ₦126.85 billion in gas flare penalty liabilities for environmental remediation. They insist that decades of pollution have destroyed their livelihoods and that the funds must be used to restore their degraded environment, as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The demand was issued on 14 July during a town hall meeting organised by the Policy, Environment and Economic Rights (PEER) Foundation under its #Unlock2remediate campaign.
The event, held in Unyenge, convened traditional rulers, youth and women leaders, local government representatives, civil society organisations, and environmental experts to discuss the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, particularly provisions concerning environmental remediation and host community rights.
This follows a similar engagement organised by the PEER Foundation in the Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, where host communities also called for transparency in the management of gas flare penalties and urged that the funds be directed towards restoring oil-polluted environments, as previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES. Communities Seek Environmental Justice
