Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has pledged the sum of N460 million to the 23 Local Government Area Chairmen in the state, to destroy all illegal crude oil bunkering and artisanal refinery sites in the State.
The governor who ordered all the 23 Chairmen to hire bulldozers and destroy every identified bunkering and artisanal refinery sites in Rivers State, said each chairman will receive N20 million to destroy illegal refineries that have been identified in their respective domains.
Wike made this pledge when he met with the 23 local government chairmen, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers, Mr. Friday Eboka, and the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Aliyu Bature.
The governor also asked the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, to provide adequate security for the Local Government Area chairmen as they embark on the mass destruction of illegal refinery sites across the State.
Recall that Governor Wike had recently issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the 23 Local Government Area Chairmen to provide him a comprehensive list of all illegal refinery sites and their operators within their respective jurisdiction.
Governor Wike, said with the receipt of the list of identified illegal refinery sites, the State government will provide financial support to the Local Government Area Chairmen to hire bulldozers and swamp buggies for the purpose of destroying all the sites.
“I will not relent in this fight. All of you should hire bulldozers, clear all those creeks. The government will give you some money so that they will know that we are serious.
“Those of you who are from the riverine areas, I don’t want to hear it is the creek. Go and clear those areas, apply to the state government, each of you, at least N20 million for a start to hire the equipment.
“That does not mean you will wait before you start. You must start today, tomorrow. CP, please give them the security to do this work. Don’t give them two policemen.”
He urged the Commissioner of Police to give the Local Government Chairmen adequate security personnel to go and destroy all illegal refinery sites. According to the governor, the government will not allow those engaged in illegitimate business to operate in Rivers State.
“One thing I want to say and which is very clear, and like everybody knows, I am not against anybody making money. But we cannot allow people to make money, while others are dying.”
The governor acknowledged that since the State government intensified the fight against illegal refinery operators, who are primarily responsible for the discharge of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere, the air quality in parts of the Rivers State has improved remarkably.
Governor Wike, said he is mindful that as the State government intensifies the war against illegal refinery activities, the cartel behind illicit business will make effort to compromise unscrupulous security agents in the State.
The governor, however, warned that he will personally visit the Inspector General of Police, the Commandant General of the NSCDC and the Chief of Army Staff in Abuja, to report any of their personnel implicated in illegal crude oil bunkering and artisanal refinery activities in Rivers State.
“You know in Nigeria; we don’t believe that anything can happen. We don’t take government serious, but in our own case, they have no choice, they’ll take us serious.”
The governor, who regretted the failure of the Federal Government to take any action to end the soot crisis in the oil producing States, said his administration cannot fold its arms and watch some deviant persons destroy the environment and health of the citizens.
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