The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has threatened that the state government would institute a legal action against the Federal Government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) over the environmental pollution caused by soot in the state.
Wike disclosed this last Wednesday, when a delegation of the United Nations visited him in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The governor accused the Federal Government and IOCs for the huge soot challenge affecting environment in the state, putting the responsibility for the menace on the government and the companies.
He stated that All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government deliberately planned to eliminate a greater percentage of the state’s population by her failure to act on the soot and its primary causes.
The governor said: “I have directed the Honourable Attorney General to brief an environmental lawyer to sue the Federal Government and the International Oil Companies over the issue of soot”.
Wike, explained that the state does not own companies that refine crude but had made representations to the Federal Government and her agencies on the issue of soot but to no avail.
“We have called on the security agencies to find more refined ways of destroying the illegal refineries. We have informed the National Council on Environment, the military and all federal regulatory agencies, but they are not interested in intervening”, he said.
Wike alleged that the refusal of the Federal Government to act on all information supplied on the soot was deliberate ploy to make the people of the state suffer health hazards which could lead to untimely deaths.
“All that the Federal Government is doing is to chase shadows, organising protest. Until they stop to politicising very serious issues that focus on governance, we will head nowhere”, he said.
He noted that Rivers State Government was ready to work with the international community to address to challenge in view of the failure of the Federal Government, and thanked the UN delegation for showing interest in the safety and good health of the people of the state.
Wike wondered why the Federal Government would withdraw $1billion to tackle security challenges facing the North-East, and not withdraw same amount for environmental challenges in the Niger Delta, alleging that the $1billion withdrawn by Federal Government was for election purposes rather than security.
“We want the international community to come to our aid and pressure the Federal Government not to politicise environmental issues. We are ready to work with the international community to address this challenge”, he assured.
The leader of the UN delegation to the state, Charles Ekong, commended Wike for the steps so far taken by the Rivers State Government in tackling the challenge of soot, stating that the delegation was in the state as part of its investigation to find lasting solutions to the problem.
In his reaction, an Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Adebayo Durojaiye said that the UN delegation has met with the Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya and the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Princewill Chike on how to address the soot menace in the state.
The United Nations delegation to Rivers State include: leader, World Health Organisation, Brazaville, Congo, Charles Ekong; United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), environmental expert, BR Ravishankar and World Health Organisation, Nigeria, Dr Luka Mangreep Ibrahim; and representative of World Health Organisation Headquarters, Pier Mudu.