Civil society organisations and environmental rights activists have urged the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency on the escalating environmental crisis in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, where gas has been bubbling from the earth, contaminating water sources across the community.
Assessment of Affected Sites
The groups made the call after a recent on-the-spot assessment of affected sites in the riverine community, where residents have endured the crisis for over six months, at the Weekend.
Speaking to Newsmen, Dr Isaac Osuaka, Executive Director of Social Action, who led the visit, described the situation as a clear and present danger to lives and livelihoods in Bille.
“As we moved around the community, we saw gas bubbling from beneath the earth and on the water everywhere. The water wells that the people depend on for drinking are already polluted,” Osuaka said.
Criticism of Government Response
He expressed disappointment at the Federal Government’s slow response despite repeated appeals from the affected people. Dr Osuaka particularly criticised the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) for visiting the area without taking concrete steps to protect residents. He also faulted the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for issuing a statement promising investigation but failing to act for several months.
The activist noted that even the fire truck provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would be ineffective in the event of a fire outbreak due to the community’s difficult riverine terrain and lack of motorable roads.
“There is uncertainty because at any point in time there could be an unmanageable fire situation,” he warned, adding that the Federal Government must declare an environmental emergency and take urgent measures to address the gas seepage.
Voices from the Community
Dr Osuaka stressed that the people of Bille would not continue to tolerate the situation indefinitely. “The overwhelming view of everybody is that this outrage in Bille cannot be allowed to continue because it is about the lives of the people,” he said.
Prominent environmentalist, Mrs Ann-Kio Briggs, who also toured the affected areas, painted a disturbing picture of the crisis. “I cannot tell you how terrible it is. You don’t need to be a scientist to know that something terrible is here,” she said, describing how gas bubbles up in water bodies and follows the air.
Mrs Briggs expressed concern over the risk of fire outbreaks and criticised the absence of top government officials especially from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources from the scene. She questioned the relevance of palliatives when residents lack safe drinking water and called on National Assembly members from the area to rise to their responsibilities.
Youth Council Demands
Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eastern Zone, Comrade Datolu Sukubo while echoing the demands of the INC, accused the government of negligence. He said the Federal Government appeared unconcerned because there was no visible equipment failure or direct disruption to oil production.
Comrade Sukubo decried the lack of comprehensive scientific studies in Bille Kingdom to determine the extent of environmental damage and its impact on residents’ health and means of livelihood. “The Bille situation has not occurred anywhere in Nigeria, gas bubbling in every water that the people drink. Why have they not embarked on massive subsidence studies?” he queried.
The youth leader warned that if the Federal Government fails to declare a state of emergency on the crisis, the people of Bille are prepared to take drastic actions to protect their lives and properties in the Kingdom.
