Residents have raised alarm over the activity of fish sellers at the Rumuekpolu Ultra Modern Market in Eneka Clan, of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
They expressed fear that there might be another fear outbreak if the fish sellers were not stopped from roasting fish on an oil pipeline owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company.
Related Post
- Fight Against Crude Oil Theft, Illegal Bunkering, Pipeline Vandalisation Gains Momentum As CNS Inaugurates Six Gunboats In Rivers State
- NYCOP appeals to Ogoni youths not to shutdown oil pipelines
Speaking in an interview, they urged the leadership of the community to warn the traders against the act.
This is coming in about one week after a fire incident that occurred at Rumuworlu Street, in Eneka, which burnt a six-month-old baby to death, and severely injured the Mother and two-year-old sibling.
Speaking in an interview, a mechanic, Mr. Monday Ekpo, who resides along the pipeline said, “This thing is very dangerous but them no go hear till people die, God forbid.
“How normal human beings go put fire for pipeline? If anything happens here people go just roast like charcoal. Eh no good and nobody ready to talk, na their money them dey come collect here.
“The only thing I wan beg na make them stop this thing, eh no dey safe, abeg, we dey hear fire everywhere still we dey do wetin fit cause fire, I he tenant, if I hear anything I don park, na them wey from here I dey pity.”
Another respondent, Chioma Ichendu sàid, “my sister, human being no dey hear till something happen, we no dey hear. Why not dry the fish for the other side, at least eh far small from the pipeline, why here?
“No, I no talk say make them remove the market but anything fire, roast something, make them carry am go the other side, here dey dangerous.
“Even some house wey dey here no dey safe, abeg, make them stop this fish wey them dey dry here, eh no good.”
Also speaking, a native of the community, Mr. Echendu Igwe expressed dismay that the practice has been on for long.
Wondering why the market owners were yet to rebuke the women, he said, “I am from this community. It’s unfortunate that we allow things to spoil before we do the right thing. This is very dangerous. Without wasting much of your time, I just want to beg the women to stop, please, maybe they are ignorant of the danger but they have to stop.
“Yes, of course, the owners of the market, I want to also beg them, this should not continue at all, no, because nothing here can be compared to the loss if anything like fire outbreak happens because of this, please.”
