Bayelsa State government has urged Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) to complement government efforts in educating the public, particularly the youths, on the dangers of oil bunkering and illegal refining activities.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the charge while receiving the members of the Bayelsa State Executive and Elders Council of HOSCON at his office in the Government House, Yenagoa.
“Apart from the deleterious health effects caused by artisanal refining of crude oil, the menace also constitutes grave economic sabotage to the country and our state in particular.
Ewhrudjakpo said these illegal activities have claimed several lives while urging youths to resist the temptation of going into such hazardous activities.
While commending the call for the legalisation of illegal refining, the deputy governor said HOSCON has a strategic role to play in the ongoing sensitisation efforts of the government to discourage youths involved in the act.
Responding to the group’s requests, especially on the passage of the BYSOPADEC Bill pending before the House of Assembly, Ewhrudjakpo urged HOSCON to leverage its over 1,200-community membership capacity to prevail on the Assembly to pass the bill into law.
In his remarks, the State Chairman of HOSCON, Samson Dabbey-Graham said the visit was to formally introduce the new executive members to the deputy governor and explore areas of collaboration with the government.
