Precious Anga
Port Harcourt — Governor Siminalayi Fubara has called for a swift and lasting resolution of the gas leakage affecting Bille Kingdom, while pledging to upgrade the community’s Primary Healthcare Centre to tackle health challenges linked to the incident.
The governor made the commitment on Wednesday after chairing an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt. The meeting brought together officials of the Federal Government, Rivers State Government, industry operators, regulators and leaders of the affected community to review the situation and agree on lasting solutions.
Fubara said the state government had earlier inspected the affected area alongside industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources before convening the broader meeting.
“The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. You’re aware that there is a case of gas leakage somewhere in Bille, and the people have been making some requests that the government should come to their rescue to resolve the situation.
“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,” the governor said.
Fubara described the outcome of the meeting as successful, expressing confidence that additional actions in the coming weeks would lead to the complete resolution of the crisis.
Leading the Federal Government delegation, Ekperikpe Ekpo said contrary to public perception, the Federal Government had not ignored the gas seepage but had been working to determine its cause.
He explained that investigators initially faced difficulties because there were no oil and gas facilities around the affected location, making detailed technical investigations necessary.
“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, as we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.
“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 speaking, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan assured residents that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and operators in the industry were committed to addressing the community’s concerns, including the provision of potable water and fire trucks while efforts continue to identify and permanently stop the gas leak.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the Council of Chiefs of Bille Kingdom, C. Rena Dappa outlined the environmental and health challenges confronting the community and appealed for urgent government intervention to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of residents.
The renewed intervention comes amid mounting calls from community leaders and civil society organisations for a comprehensive environmental assessment and permanent remediation of the affected area.
