• Fubara seeks full resolution of leakage, pledges upgrade of community health centre
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Oil, the Rivers State Government and gas operators have agreed on measures to address the gas eruption in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area.
This as Governor Siminalayi Fubara has demanded quick and full resolution to the challenges arising from the gas leakage in the Bille community.
Fubara who spoke during an enlarged meeting of key stakeholders, comprising representatives of the federal government, the state government and leaders of the community, pledged to upgrade the Primary Healthcare Centre in the Bille to enable it address the health challenges confronting the community.
The meeting was held to review the situation in the community and explore available opportunities to save the people from the adverse impacts of environmental pollution.
Fubara explained that the state government had earlier visited the affected community alongside officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and the operating companies to assess the situation following appeals by residents for urgent intervention.
He said the latest meeting enabled all stakeholders to jointly examine the cause of the gas eruption and agree on practical steps to resolve the problem.
Describing the meeting as productive, the governor expressed confidence that it would lead to concrete actions, noting that the Bille delegation, led by its traditional rulers, welcomed the outcome.
“I can say that it was a very successful meeting because the Bille community, ably represented by their chiefs, are all smiling. It means that the outcome of the meeting was a good one,” Fubara said.
The governor added that both the federal government and the operating companies had assured the community of prompt intervention, expressing optimism that significant remedial work would commence within the next few weeks to bring the situation under control.
“As a state, we have gone to see the situation in the community, not alone but in conjunction with the industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are doing today is an enlarged meeting where all the parties are sitting together to look at the cause of the issue and the most possible way to get the problem resolved.,” he said
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the federal government’s delegation to the meeting, commended Fubara for his warm hospitality and efforts he had made to address the challenge in Bille community.
Ekpo explained that contrary to the perception in certain quarters, the federal government has not been silent over the “gas seepage” but had been working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
The Minister explained that as soon as the incident was reported, the federal government deployed experts to the area to understudy the cause of the problem.
“The investigation is still ongoing but we decided to do a follow-up visit to the area to talk to the people of Bille Community that we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.”
He also praised the Bille community for its cooperation and assured residents that the Federal Government and the operating companies were committed to implementing remedial measures to mitigate the impact of the gas eruption and ease the hardship faced by the affected people.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We can understand their anxiety, the worry and the danger that this thing poses within the area, but the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem. The primary responsibility of government is to take care of the welfare and security of the people and that is exactly why we are here to go and see things for ourselves,” Ekpo said.
Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, explained that as the regulatory agency at the centre of the issue, no effort would be spared in the task of resolving it.
Eyesan pledged that the NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of the impacted people in terms of the provision of potable water and fire trucks to the community.
