Rivers State And The Deadly Sooth

By: BABAKATCHA HADIZA 

 The executive governor of Rivers state, Bar. Nyesom Wike, on Friday 14th January 2022, declared war against illegal refining which is causing blacksoot with adverse health effects on residents and environmental challenges in the state. 

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Governor Nyesom Wike, made the declaration on African Independent Television, ait. He said blacksoot "is a serious matter, in fact it's a war" the governor sets out to stop illegal refining or bunkering which was referred to as operation shot down illegal crude oil activities in Rivers state. 

The governor accompanied by security operatives identified and raided some illegal crude oil refinery in some part of the state, we laud the efforts of the governor even as the road were barricade with vehicles in a certain local government area, he walked into the bush,he noted that the blacksoot must be confronted because it is capable of causing cancer amongst other challenges, and also that he would do everything to prosecute those found wanted by the law. Adding that a legal team should be set up to prosecute all culprit no matter how or who they are. 

Truly, we appreciate the quick response of the executive governor of Rivers state, Bar. Nyesom Wike to the worries of Rivers residents over the condition of blacksoot in the state. We pray that, these are not political answers and actions towards to deadly blacksoot. 

We urge the governor to set up a programme, a medical team who would advise residents on how to prevent or reduce the intake of this contaminated air. This team should come up with policies on prevention and counter measures to blacksoot inhaled already over the years, and maybe suggest wearing of protective masks and the likes.

Aside the medical team, there must be an enforcement team to make sure that, the people adhere to instructions of wearing protective masks and doing or following the instructions gave by the medical team. This enforcement team or task force must be in every local government area of the state, who would be reporting to the local government chairman, either on weekly basis or monthly. 

At the state level the progress report must be made every week or monthly and make available to the public in order to follow up with the government performance and efforts on the blacksoot. 

Rivers state government must take the people along in their fight against illegal refining of crude oil which is said to be the major cause of blacksoot with adverse health and environmental implications on the residents.

We see the governor on television talking about the blacksoot and how he would fight it, as if the soot started yesterday. It is commendable that he aptly responded to the call made to him on various social media platforms to show strength where he is suppose to show strength. However, we hope that, the response is not a political respond and reaction, the world is watching keenly to see the results of these actions and statements made by the government of the state.

Some said, governor wike has presidential ambitions, we hope these steps aren't all politically inclined to silent residents and all that are interested in the environmental disturbance in Rivers state because this blacksoot has been there since he came to power as governor, the question is, why haven't or didn't he respond or tackle it this strongly all these years?

Rivers state is a major beneficiary of the legal crude oil activities in the state, it is from these activities that the state get money to run it administration. As such, bunkering or illegal refining is an attack on the states source of income. 

Considering the health and environmental implications of blacksoot, it would be correct to say, it is deadlier than Banditry and Covid-19.

Families all over Nigeria are worried and concern about their children who are schooling, working or living in Rivers state because of the contaminated air they are inhaling and the dangers of it to their health. 

Generally, it is a relief to hear from the governor's mouth that the blacksoot is deadly and it must be combated to easy the health and environmental concerns of it, we hope this anxiety, energy and fire of clearing this problem will keep burning. 

Experts should be invited to educate and enlighten the citizens and residents on the situation of blacksoot, what they should do to clear the overdose already inhaled and to prevent further inhalation of this contaminated air, along with task force and enforcement agents to make sure that rivers residents all masks up as a preventive or control measures while the fight to end bunkering is on going.

We want Rivers state, where they would be update on daily, weekly or monthly basis on the updates of the blacksoot's performance, not a political defence and cross over issues, where the all thing would die off after few weeks or months.

 the blacksoot awareness is growing, attention of the world is on Rivers state. 

Nigerians wants to see the end of this blacksoot, governor wike is mostly know as a strong man, you must show strength and follow up this fight till the end with updates of the government's efforts and performance on the cause, this would restore the residents trust on the government and even investors would be attracted to the state because the air pollution is cleared. 

We pray that, the governor's answer is not a political answer or defence on blacksoot because social media platforms have all picked interest in it.

Since the governor has come out publicly to fight or declared a war against illegal refining, we hope he would keep to his words as the bunkering is happening right in their domain.