Residents of Bille Community in Degema Local Government Area are gripped by fear following continuous leakage of a substance suspected to be natural gas, bubbling from several points within the community and along the river.
According to residents, the leakages—now ongoing for about one month—remain unexplained, with neither government agencies nor oil and gas operators in the area providing clarity on the cause or potential risks.
Speaking at one of the affected sites, the Chairman of the Bille Kingdom Chiefs Council, Alabo Barr. Beneth Oporkia-Dokubo, called for urgent intervention, warning that the situation poses an imminent disaster if left unattended.
The Secretary of the Chiefs Council, Luckyman Egila, urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to mandate operators around Bille to act immediately to safeguard the lives of residents. He revealed that the community’s only source of drinking water has already been contaminated by the suspected gas.
Environmentalists Blessing Digbani and Napoleon Hezekiah also raised alarm over the potential health hazards, especially for children, should the leakages continue.
Meanwhile, our correspondent reports that the traditional leadership of Bille has ordered the immediate relocation of pupils of Community Primary School 2 to the Chiefs Council Hall, as the school premises is one of the locations where the leakage is active.
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