By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Since the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, declared war against illegal bunkering and soot, almost all the chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state have keyed into the fight, to facilitate its success.
Though, Governor Wike’s mandate to the chairmen to join in the fight, coupled with the financial incentive he introduced, gave them little or no option than to partner with the governor to prosecute the war.
To this effect, some of the chairmen have initiated special programmes geared towards cleansing their LGAs of illegal refining sites and reducing the black soot menace.
For instance, some have introduced regular searches for illegal refining sites in their areas during which they destroy any site they see.
Some of them have reportedly recorded successes in the fight. In Ahaoda West, Port Harcourt, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Akuku-Toru and Eleme LGAs, the fight against illegal bunkering and black soot have gained much prominence with the measures their chairmen have adopted. Some of these measures include awareness campaigns through radio and television jingles, constitution of monitoring committees and sanitization exercises.
In Emohua LGA for instance, the chairman, Chidi Lloyd, declared Saturday 22nd January 2022 as a special environmental sanitation day.
The sanitation was planned to hold in all the fourteen wards of the LGA between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. It was gathered that the initiative was informed by the desire to sanitize and clean Emohua of every form of dirt, including the soot menace, having also sacked some illegal refining sites in the area. To achieve a perfect clean-up exercise, residents and business operators across the local government area were urged to take advantage of the special sanitation exercise to keep their residential surroundings and business premises clean.
Also, traditional rulers, community development committee officials and youth leaders were equally charged to ensure active participation of members of their respective communities.
So far, the Rivers State Government’s was against illegal bunkering and the consequent black soot hazard has continued to generate mixed reactions across the state. While many residents are applauding it, some are calling for restraint and caution, arguing that stopping artisanal refining totally will deny the operators of their means of livelihood and force them to return to militancy, armed robbery and other forms of criminality.
Yet, others are appealing for creation of job opportunities as alternative means of survival for the youths who are believed to constitute the bulk of illegal bunkerers and refiners.
However, there are no signs to show that Governor Nyesom Wike is ready to bulge in his avowed determination to stop illegal bunkering, artisanal refining and the consequent black soot hazard that keeps endangering the lives of Rivers residents on daily basis.
