Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has assured residents of Bille Community in Degema Local Government Area that more decisive measures will be taken within the next few weeks to contain the gas leak plaguing the area.
Governor Fubara gave the assurance on Wednesday July 1, 2026 after a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpo Ekpo, operators of oil and gas facilities in the area, and leaders of the Bille community.
The governor disclosed that the state government had earlier visited the affected community with relevant stakeholders to assess the situation on ground. He said the latest meeting afforded all parties the opportunity to jointly examine the cause of the gas leak and agree on practical steps to resolve the problem.
Describing the meeting as successful, Fubara expressed optimism that the decisions reached would translate into concrete actions in the coming weeks.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Ekperikpo Ekpo said the Federal Government had not folded its arms on the matter, as the relevant regulatory agency was already conducting investigations to ascertain the root cause of the leak.
Ekpo explained that the investigation became necessary because there are no Federal Government-owned oil and gas facilities in the immediate vicinity of the incident. He noted that his visit was to complement the earlier assessment by the Rivers State Government and to engage directly with the affected people.
The minister stressed that the safety of residents remains the topmost priority of the government, while acknowledging the grave danger the gas leak poses to lives and the environment.
He urged members of the community to continue cooperating with authorities to ensure a permanent solution to the problem.
Ekpo assured the people that the Federal Government stands firmly with the Bille community and is committed to addressing their concerns, adding that due consideration would be given to the requests presented by community leaders during the meeting.
