Rivers: CSOs, Bille Community urge solution to persistent underwater gas eruption
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Bille Kingdom in Degema LGA of Rivers have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.
The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.
The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, said that the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.
Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.
He said that discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.
According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease 18 should be held accountable.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said that the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.
Eyesan said that the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.
Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.
Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.
He also said that CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.
A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr Commission had, on March 20,, said that residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.
Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.
He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.
In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.
Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.
