Rivers
Rivers Community Cries Out Over Gas Leakages
Residents of Tombia Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the state government, the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), and the Nigerian Agip Oil to come to their aid following a gas leakage in the community.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, they said the gas leakage, which occurred on Saturday, the 20th of January, had within few days caused great damages to residents and the environment.
Chief Alabo Onimite Abbey, Secretary, Tombia Council of Chiefs, said the gas leakage has negatively impacted on their environment, especially the local source of livelihood.
“Last Saturday, at about 7:30pm, I was called by the DSS boss, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, that there was a gas explosion in my community. I told him I wasn’t aware. With this information, I had to quickly respond to the information and I went home.
“When I got home, I was taken to the area. It was a gas leakage, right in the river. This means it has spoilt most of our aquatic lives. Fishes are no longer alive, as well as periwinkle, tilapia fish and the rest of them. And as a result, we cannot go fishing any longer.
“So, we are pleading with the companies that own the leaking gas pipeline facility to swing into action and fix the problem”, Abbey said.
Also speaking, Vincent Simeopiri Abbey, the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman, Tombia Community, called for immediate intervention by NLNG as well as relevant agencies to save further destruction of the environment by the incident.
According to him, in order to halt further damage that will be caused by the gas leakage, “NLNG knows the impact of gas leakage into the open space, particularly at the place where it occurred.
“NLNG does not need further education of the impact of gas leakage into the environment, they all know. The last time I spoke with them they said they’re going to check in their control room to ascertain the root cause of the leakage. But since then we have not heard from them.
“We are using this medium to tell the world what we are facing. Everybody knows that any little spark can cause huge fire that can exterminate the entire community as well as the environment”, he said.
Similarly, Comrade Owen Igbikialabo, the Youth President, Tombia Kingdom, said he personally reported to NLNG about the gas leakage incident immediately it was spotted.
He said last week he used the medium to call on the State Government to intervene in order to save lives and properties in Tombia.
“I personally called NLNG control room to report the situation. They’re yet to take care of the gas leakage incident.
“We are calling on Rivers State Government, the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to intervene. This is a very serious issue, it can cause fire outbreak in the entire creek and burn off the habitats”, he said.
Efforts to reach the Nigerian Agip Oil company and other relevant bodies proved abortive as at press time.
By: John Bibor
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied a media report claiming that Justice Frank Onyiri of the State High Court issued an injunction order restraining the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from inaugurating the newly appointed members of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission (RSCSC).
In a statement issued by the Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of litigation at the High Court, Menenen Poromon (Esq), the state Judiciary disassociated itself from the report, describing it as malicious and fabricated.
The statement emphasized that the report was a falsehood and a misrepresentation of what transpeared in the court.
Poromon clarified that no such order was issued by Justice Onyiri or any other judge of the High Court of the state and urged the public to disregard the information, as it lacked any iota of truth.
The statement however advised the public to verify any information concerning the state Judiciary directly from the office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of the State, to avoid spreading of misinformation.