BY SAM DUVWODE
The Delta State Government has disclosed as worrisome the despoliation of the oil environment through the destruction of arrested vessels, barges and boats leading with illegal oil products by Security agencies operating in the oil producing communities.
This was stated by the Delta State Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, while addressing hundreds of protesters from Okerenkoko community over the resultant effect on the evironment following the destruction of illegal refineries by security agencies on Oil producing communities around Warri South west and Warri North respectively.
Barr. Otuaro, who is also the Chairman of the Delta State Advocacy Committee against Oil and Gas Facilities Vandalism, while fielding questions from newsmen noted that, the committee against oil destruction was set up with the responsibility of protecting and ensuring that the oil producing environment is secured and safe in order to maximise the oil potentials for government to leverage on to carry out its developmental objectives for the oil producing environment and the society at large.
According to him; “Lately, as a government, we have heard so much complains from critical stakeholders of the oil producing environment to the effect that the despoliation of the environment has impacted on their livelihood”.
“We had to embark on an aerial assessment or overview to actually see for ourselves what the situation is like. We have gone round the Alero operating fields and other oil operating fields in Warri North and Warri South West and what we saw was actually worrisome and disgusting. It is an ill wind that is blowing nobody any good. That is, talking about the illegal oil activities going on that has so impacted on the environment”.
The state deputy governor while reacting to the complains by the protesters against the actions of the security agencies said; “The statutory responsibilty of the security agencies is to ensuring that these criminal activities are stamped out and the oil environment is protected, so that oil exploration could go on unhindered. But I think the choiceless destruction of these illegally seized vessels and boats leading with these illegal oil products by the security agencies thereby spilling and impacting on the environment does not conform with global best practices. And I think we need a national discuss on that note, for what we saw was actually worrisome and frightening”.
“We are going to articulate the views of all critical stakeholders and see how we can pull through to having a remedy to the situation, we cannot afford to continue this way. Like the people rightly complained, their livelihood which is of course farming and fishing is no longer there. The community is so hardened that, the people are suffering and we just need to think this through. There must be a better solution to this. We cannot continue like this as a people, as a country and as a society, we just cannot”. Barr. Otuaro stated.
Barr. Otuaro who appealed to the protesting communities said; ” I want to appeal to the protesting communities in Warri North and Warri South West Local government, that they should exercise some patience, that their complains have been heard by government and government is looking into the destruction of the environment with a view to ensuring that we take a long lasting solution to addressing all of these ills”. He said.
The state deputy governor who noted that the advocacy committee was set up when there was resurgence of militancy in the area, and was able to talk with critical stakeholders to ensuring that peace was sustained for government to do that which is needed to do, noted that, so much has been done and so much is yet to be done.
He enjoined the communities to have patience that government is looking seriously into their complains.
Also the officials of Chevron Nig. Ltd and the Chairman, Okerenkoko federated community, Mr. Kingley Oturubo, noted that, not only the state government that needs to look into the issue but they called on the federal government to do something about the destruction of illegal oil products on the environment by security operatives, saying the impact is quite destructive to the lives of the people.
Mr. Oturubo noted that, the issue of protest had to do with the additional pollution by the military personal in the Niger Delta. “I am appealing to them to look for better and further solution on how to curb the excesses of polutions in the Niger Delta and not by destroying the vessels and spilling the illegal oil products in the already polutted environmen. The idea of burning crude oil boats and undilluted oil products into the water is not a better idea and I am speaking to the military not to jeopardize the good jobs they are doing but they should look for a proper way or site to pull away unfined illegal products”. He said.
The protesters from Okerenkoko community while chanting songs of protest, beared placards with various inscriptions like; ‘Military stop polluting our enironment with oil products seized from Vandals’, ‘Government, please come to our aids because oil from spillage resulting from the destruction by security agents on seized oil has devastated our entire environment’, ‘millitary please adopt more holistic way of keeping seized Vandalized products, etc,