By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Governor Nyesom Wike’s war against soot may have elicited mixed reactions in some quarters, majority of the public still commended the initiative. And one of those justifying the anti-soot fight is a Port Harcourt-based medical practitioner, Dr Jack Ovunda. For him, black soot simply means danger to the general public, given the harmful effects it generates in the human body.
In a chat with journalists yesterday, Dr Ovunda Omodu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Colworth Hospital, off Dr Peter Odili Road, Port Harcourt, bemoaned the adverse effects of soot on the residents of Rivers State.
He explained that soot is a byproduct of aromatic hydrocarbon and causes different kinds of diseases.
“Soot is one of the major problems in Rivers State and our environs.
“The soot is from the aromatic hydrocarbon which can cause cancers, upper and lower respiratory tract infections in children and these that are prone to such respiratory tract infections,” he said.
He condemned the activities of illegal bunkerers and refiners that are responsible for the emission of soot.
He lauded the idea of modular refineries and suggested that Niger Delta youths, especially those involved in illegal refining, should be trained to make them employable to operate them.
“If we have modular refineries, we have youths that are engaged in crude. I think we should encourage them, train them so that our modular refineries can pick up.”
Dr Ovunda also used the opportunity to appeal to multilateral companies operating in the Niger Delta Region and government authorities to incorporate the youths in their MoUs and offer them gainful employment.
He said such a development will engage youths in meaningful activities and redirect their attention from illegal activities like bunkering and artisanal refining.
