Presidency Hails Wike’s Fight Against Illegal Refineries …Tasks Other Govs To Emulate Rivers Example

The Presidency has challenged other states in the Niger Delta to emulate the courage and boldness of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in frontally tackling the scourge of illegal bunkering and refining of crude oil in the region.
The Federal Government said that with all state governors in the region taking similar steps, the menace would be eliminated, and the soot emission, as a result of the air pollution would be a thing of the past.
Speaking at while appearing on Arise TV programme, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Ita Enang, said governors from the affected states should rise to the occasion and deal with the situation as it was not the purview of the Federal Government to do so.
Apparently shifting the responsibility for the control of the black soot that has been ravaging parts of the Niger Delta region, from the Federal Government to the state governments, the former Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on National Assembly Matters, said that since the states control lands in their localities, they should deal with the problem.
Though he gave kudos to Rivers State governor on the way he has handled the soot menace in the state so far, but, however, quickly added that what was happening was essentially ‘re-pollution’ as the illegal refiners would simply relocate to remote areas to carry out their activities.
“I will commend Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on the way he has handled the soot crisis in the state so far,” Enang said while reacting to a question by one of the anchors of the programme.
“But what he has done is what I will call re-pollution of the environment because the so-called illegal refineries will simply move to other locations and the problem will continue.
“Those who are into these illegal refineries are not just mere illiterates or uneducated artisans you find on the streets.
“Many of them are highly educated. These are people who are well trained in petroleum refining engineering and technology. They are well educated in petroleum technology and pipeline technology, so they would always put their knowledge to use.
“They are well knowledgeable and they are not being engaged. Like I said, Wike has only addressed the problems in Rivers, and not in other states.
“Yes, Wike has taken a decision and other governors must take decisions on these illegal refineries.
“The problem is in Delta State, it is in Akwa Ibom State, it is in Bayelsa State. And the governors of these states are the ones who must tackle the problem and not the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration because the governors are in charge of lands in their states.
“The so-called illegal refiners are not just ordinary criminals like I said. They are highly educated and sophisticated and must be engaged by the state governments to put their knowledge to good use.
“The government of the respective states should create refinery parks for these people so they would not be forced to engage in the illegalities they are engaging in.
“These people are from the respective states and should be engaged by their state governors to put their knowledge to good use.
“We should stop calling them illegal refiners but engage them for greater use.
“The NDDC should look for ways to engage them. The equipment they are using are fabricated by graduates of Petroleum Training Institute, Efurum and other top universities in the country.
“The various state governors must take responsibility of protecting their lands because they control the lands in their states and not the Federal Government.
“We need to call everyone to the table to find a way to bring these illegal refiners on board to work with the government which will in turn, bring about a good working harmony,” Enang said.