Some stakeholders in Port Harcourt City and environs have urged the government to check the proliferation of illegal refineries, popularly known as “kpo fire” in the country.
A cross section of stakeholders, who spoke in a voxpop with The Tide said, apart from the environment, the illegal business was an act of economic sabotage.
 They noted that the sooner the government called this economic sabotagers to order, the better it is for the society.
  Mr Joseph Adejo, said the business constitutes a great danger to the society.
He said illegal burning of crude has destroyed the environment. “ If you go to some riverine communities, you cannot see any life vegetation, government should stop it”, he said.
He also called on the government to enact  a law to check the trend.
 Also speaking, another respondent, Miss Joy Oneke, described kpo fire as an illegal business and called on the government to check the trend.
She also said the situation, was affecting the economy of the riverine areas.
According to her ,” kpo fire” business is an evil that should not be encouraged.
 Also speaking, Mrs Eunice Etido said, the proliferation of illegal refineries was a risk to the society, adding that even sooth incident in Port Harcourt environs was being caused by the incesant burning of petroleum products.
 Etido called on the government to check the trend. 
She said fishing business was not booming because of the “kpo fire”, adding that even the mangrove vegetations are all dead.
She also condemned the attitude of the security agencies who burnt and spilled some contents of seized illegal products to the river.
For an environmentalist, miss Blessing Dike, government should rise up to the challenge of checking the proliferation of the business.

By: Inimgba Favour Victor, Elendu-Obochi Esther & Iyanaa Ibama Oribim