Gladys Nweke
The Independent Petroleum Marketer Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Rivers State chapter, says, over 60 hectares of farmland have been discovered as dump ground for illegal bunkering business in Ogoni and Andoni areas of the state.
The chairman, IPMAN taskforce in charge of four local government areas in Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Mr Enyinah Londy disclosed this in an interview with Journalists in Port Harcourt.
According to Londy, his team in the last two weeks disclosed in Gokana, Khana, Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro local government areas that most farmers, especially in Ogoniland, have leased out their land as hideouts for illegal bunkering business for quick money.
He said most farmers decided to quit farm work to join illegal bunkering business, a gesture he described as a great danger to the state’s agricultural development.
He noted that his taskforce team in the last two weeks has destroyed over 15 tankers of adulterated petrochemical products discovered in various farms in the area.
The task force chairman said the state may soon experience serious challenges in agriculture development if the activities of illegal bunkerers were not aggressively addressed.
He said some persons stored the adulterated petroleum products underground in G.P tanks and polyethene material, with some spilling into the farmlands.
Londy said the task force was ready to bring illegal bunkering to a standstill, saying that the task force was gradually reducing the rates of illegal bunkering activities in the areas.
Londy, who warned those leasing their farmland for illegal bunkering because of quick money, said the taskforce would soon go after the owners of the farmland for aiding and abetting illegal bunkering in the state.
