The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has urged the Federal Government (FG) to legalise artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta region after five people died in an explosion that occurred in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.
A fire was said to have occurred at 11 a.m. on Saturday from a house that stored illegally refined petroleum products and condensate for resale within the Omoku area.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Fyneface, confirmed the incident in a statement after the Advocacy Centre Youth Volunteers Network informed him.
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“The group also used the opportunity to renew its call on the federal government to legalise artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta through the establishment of its July 27, 2020 proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) and/or Modular Refineries for artisanal Refiners in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region to mitigate incidents of this nature,” Fyneface noted.
The inferno claimed the lives of four females and one male, who were burnt beyond recognition.
The Advocacy Centre is a youth volunteers network under the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta, with a branch in ONELGA.
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The organization, which called for an investigation into the incident, urged residents, especially youths, to refrain from participating in illegal activities such as pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refining, and engaging in the trading of illegally refined petroleum products.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria also added that they should avoid using their homes as storage dumps, citing the implications and risk of recurrence.
