House of Representatives Committee on South-South Development Commission has called for urgent and concrete action to end the protracted gas seepage in Bille Community, Rivers State, and the oil spill in Odidi Federated Community of Delta State.
The committee’s chairman, Hon. Julius Gbabojor Pondi, made the demand yesterday at a stakeholders’ engagement on the Bille gas seepage and a legislative hearing on the Odidi oil spill in Abuja.
Pondi said the two incidents had exposed the host communities to prolonged environmental hazards without satisfactory and timely resolution.
According to him, the committee’s concern over the Bille incident was heightened following its engagement with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) on 30th July, 2026.
He said the committee was deeply concerned to learn that the gas seepage had continued for approximately nine months, with no clear end in sight.
“The implications are serious. Beyond the potential risks to health, safety and the environment, the incident has imposed severe economic hardship on the people of Bille,” Pondi said.
He noted that Bille, being predominantly a fishing community, had suffered consequences that affected livelihoods, food security, household income, education and the general well-being of families.
“It is unacceptable for an incident of this magnitude to persist for so long without a clear, time-bound and effective resolution strategy,” he stated.
Pondi said the stakeholders’ engagement was expected to establish the facts surrounding the incident, assess the response so far, identify obstacles and agree on practical, measurable and time-bound actions.
He said the Committee expected comprehensive briefings from the operating company, NUPRC, NOSDRA and other relevant agencies on the cause, extent and current status of the seepage.
The lawmaker also said representatives of the Bille Community would be allowed to present their challenges and the relief and interventions required.
“Most importantly, we want to move from prolonged discussion to concrete action and lasting resolution,” he said.
On the Odidi oil spill, Pondi said the Committee would proceed with a legislative hearing to investigate the incident, which he said had reportedly continued for more than five months.
He said the hearing would seek to establish when the spill occurred and was reported, its cause, containment measures undertaken, the extent of the affected environment, the status of remediation and the reasons for its continued persistence.
The Committee chairman said the affected community would have the opportunity to present its concerns. At the same time, the operating company, regulatory agencies, and relevant government institutions would explain the actions taken to date.
“Our approach will be fair, objective and evidence-based. “We are not here to prejudge any party, but to establish the facts, promote accountability and facilitate solutions,” he said.
Pondi described the situations in Bille and Odidi as manifestations of a broader environmental and developmental challenge confronting the South-South region.
He said despite the region’s immense contribution to Nigeria’s oil and gas economy, communities hosting the resources continued to bear a disproportionate burden of environmental degradation.
“This contradiction must be addressed,” he said.
“The wealth derived from the natural resources of the Niger Delta must not come at the unacceptable cost of the health, livelihoods and future of its people.”
He stressed that the House of Representatives had a constitutional responsibility to provide effective oversight, promote accountability, and ensure that institutions charged with environmental protection and resource management discharged their responsibilities.
