Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Federal Government has been urged expand the ongoing Ogoni environmental cleanup to other oil-impacted communities across the Niger Delta.
The Amayanabo of Okrika community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRH Engr. Abiye Bright Iyo, Omubaraibibo I, made the appeal while addressing journalists at a summit organized by the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance in Port Harcourt.
Iyo noted that while the cleanup in Ogoniland is commendable, it must not stop there, as environmental degradation affects virtually all communities in the oil-producing region.
He appealed to the Federal Government and its agencies, especially HYPREP and the Ministry of Environment, to extend remediation efforts across the region
“The Ogonis suffered the most impact of environmental degradation. Thank God that from former President Muhammadu Buhari to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they have played their part in ensuring the environmental cleanup is carried out.
“But almost everybody in the Niger Delta is suffering the same thing. If you go to the Kalabari area, everywhere is affected by oil spills, the ecosystem is gone,” he added.
The traditional ruler stressed that the damage is not isolated. “There is no difference between Bodo City and Bolo Town, which is a boundary community. There is no difference between Alode and Okochiri. These are lowland areas, and when the oil drains, it comes down here like a soakaway pit,” he explained.
“As the government cleans up Ogoni, the cleanup should be expanded to other Niger Delta communities so everybody will be happy. The health hazards are affecting everyone, not only the Ogoni communities,” HRH Iyo stated.
He also praised President Tinubu’s broader interventions in the Niger Delta region, particularly in energy reforms and security.
“By my assessment, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done very well, but people will not see it. He took away the petrol subsidy, we all cried, but it is a peril for the moment. Within a short time, fuel will be sold almost free. It is a long-term arrangement that we have to be patient and make sacrifices for.
“Since he assumed power to date, there hasn’t been fuel scarcity. He has done well.”
Highlighting improvements in infrastructure and anti-oil theft efforts, he said, “The East-West Road leading to the refinery, though one part is almost completed, now allows traffic to flow day and night. Oil bunkering is almost becoming extinct. Oil pipelines are being protected and the money is going back into government coffers to be used in developing our region.”
“On our waterways, you now see the military and gunboats making sure the oil goes to the rightful owner, which is government. The President has done very well,” HRH Iyo concluded.
