Civil society organisations in Rivers State have called on the Federal Government to carry out an immediate environmental assessment and clean-up of Bille Kingdom following reports of a prolonged gas leak in the area.
The groups made the demand in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and presented through the Office of the Rivers State Governor.
The letter, signed by the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative and the Lekeh Development Foundation, urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address the environmental and public health concerns arising from the incident.
The Coordinator of the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative, Courage Nsirim-Ovu, called for transparency in the management of the environmental remediation fund provided under the Petroleum Industry Act. He maintained that every Nigerian has the right to a clean and healthy environment, stressing that communities in the Niger Delta should no longer bear the environmental cost of the country’s economic development.
The Executive Director of the Lekeh Development Foundation, Friday Nbani, said environmental pollution continues to threaten the lives and livelihoods of people across the Niger Delta.
A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Leyi Kwanee, said the Federal Government must clean up polluted communities if it hopes to build the trust and cooperation of host communities for future oil exploration activities.
Receiving the letter on behalf of the Rivers State Governor, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Honour Sirawoo, assured the groups that their concerns would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting the environment and safeguarding the welfare of Rivers people.
