— As Emohua Residents Stages Peaceful Protest Along East-West Road
The people of Emohua local government area in Rivers State have called on the federal government of Nigeria to end the growing menace of illegal oil bunkering activities popularly known as kpo-fire within the LGA in order to avert loss of lives and properties in the area.
The people who made the call during a peaceful protest-walk along the Emohua axis of the East-West road on Monday, accused some security personnel posted to the area of aiding and abetting oil bunkering activities while soot ravage the inhabitants of the local government area on daily basis.
The chairman of Emohua local government area, D chidi Lloyd who led the peaceful protest said efforts made by his administration to end the menace through the setting up of the local government taskforce on illegal oil bunkering could not yield the much needed result due to the support of security personnel to the operators of the illegal oil bunkering business in the area.
He noted that truck tanks were being loaded with illegally refined petroleum products and escorted out of the local government area by federal government controlled security agencies while residents of the area battle issues of soot and water pollution, as well as destruction of farm lands, as a result of the menace.
Dr Lloyd said the activities of illegal oil bunkers if not stopped by the federal government which is the only tier of government that has powers over the security agencies would perhaps make the people of Emohua local government area endanger species to cancer and other serious health related challenges.
The council chairman however commended the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for his administration’s consistent provision of logistics support to the different security agencies in Rivers State to provide adequate security across the state but frowned at the involvement of the same security agencies in the illegal oil bunkering activities in the state which the governor himself had severally brought to the notice of the federal government.
The leader of Emohua legislative council, Hon Mrs Love Nyenke and the secretary of the local government council, Chief Vincent Chukwu in their sperate remarks supported the position of the council chairman, stressing that the situation has become so bad that the people of the area who are predominantly farmers and fishermen could no longer go about their farming and fishing business due to the pollution of the surounding rivers and streams in the area, as well as their farmlands.
They called for the investigation of any security personnel involved in the illegal oil bunkering activities and anyone found culpable be made to face the full wrath of law for sabotaging the nation’s Economy, stressing that the quick intervention of the federal government will not only help to protect lives and properties in Emohua local government area but would also save the nation from loss of revenue.
Bright Jossy Elendu
Chief Press Secretary,
Emohua LGA.
13/12/2021
