Mkpoikana Udoma
31 July 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — As a result of the continuous environmental pollution orchestrated by crude oil exploration and exploitation activities, the Niger Delta region would face an outbreak of diabetes epidemic in the next ten years.
An expert in Diabetes, Prof. Cornelius Ngochindo, who gave the warning in Port Harcourt, explained that among all causes of diabetes, the environment ranks high at 51 percent.
Ngochindo, who is a professor of diabetology disclosed that such environmental causes include the toxic emitted through gas flares and other petroleum wastes in the air, water, and land.
According to him, “Diabetes is a very bad disease that affects all systems of the human being: 22 percent causes of diabetes is hereditary, 17 percent is caused by mode of life, 10 percent caused by pregnancy and drugs, while 51percent is caused by the environment.
“Gas flares with all types of petroleum wastes both in our air-space, water and land are very hazardous to the health of those who live in this region.
“In the same vein, atmospheric distribution of poisonous gases produced by oil and gas companies find their ways into human bodies through the respiratory system.
“The soot currently experienced in Rivers State is part of the atmospheric emissions.
“If nothing is done to change the trend of toxic emissions in the next ten years, the Niger Delta region would experience diabetes outbreak.”
Ngochindo, who is also a doctor of toxicology further explained that most of the chemicals dumped into rivers are eaten by fishes, which can be stored up in their systems for years.
“These fishes find their ways into our cooking pots through the fishermen.”
