Black Soot: Gov Wike moves against illegal oil refiners in Rivers after NewsBand report

The executive governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike has ordered Local Government Chairmen to work with community leaders to locate and identify those behind all illegal bunkering and crude oil refining sites in their localities and report to his office for immediate action.

He gave the order during his state wide broadcast to mark the new year.

The marching order is also coming after NewsBand last week reported about the menace of black soot that is ravaging the State and endangering the lives of the residents.

Wike during the broadcast said that as the federal security agencies have refused to stop the illegal crude oil refining activities in the State despite several appeals, his administration have no option than to take necessary measures to tackle this particular and direct challenge to the collective health and survival of the Rivers people.

He said, “Let me also reiterate that we are as overly concerned as the public over the black soot environmental disaster that has continued to envelope Port Harcourt and upsetting residents for quite some time.

“As a State Government, we have drawn the attention of the Federal Government to this problem and requested for its intervention to stop the activities of illegal bunkering and artisanal crude oil refiners, which have been identified as the main sources of the soot pandemic.

“Unfortunately, the Federal Government has remained inexplicably silent over our request and even complicit to a large extent with the security agencies actively aiding, encouraging and protecting the artisanal refiners to continue with their harmful activities unabated.

“We have equally appealed without success to our people engaging in this illegal business to consider its negative effects on our economy, environment, public safety and public health and disengage from it.

“We will continue to engage and plead with the Federal Government to intervene and save our people from this serious environmental and health emergency.

“However, since the federal security agencies have largely refused to stop the illegal crude oil refining activities in the State, we have no option than to take necessary measures to tackle this particular and direct challenge to our collective health and survival by ourselves.

“Consequently, I have directed the Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council to go after all the illegal crude oil refining sites along Creek road and adjourning areas of the city and shut them down with immediate effect.

“Furthermore, all Local Government Chairmen are directed to work with community leaders to locate and identify those behind all illegal bunkering and crude oil refining sites in their localities and report to my office for further action.”