Illegal Refinery Activities, Gas Flaring and Danger Posed on Rivers Residents

Blessing Ibunge writes on the dangers posed by soot on residents of Port Harcourt and other parts of Rivers State, who have suffered years of serious health challenges resulting from gas flaring from multinational oil companies operating in the area, illegal crude oil refining activities and illicit burning of the seized products by government security agencies

Recently, during an environmental programme in Port Harcourt, a Public Health Physician and Environmental Advocate, Dr Bieye Briggs, narrated experience of how ‘Soot’, a fine particulate matter from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel, attacked his infant baby and two-year-old son, causing serious health challenge.

In his words, Dr Briggs said: “My six-month-old daughter breathes through her mouth due to nasal congestion. My two-year-old son has missed school for over two weeks this term due to respiratory illnesses.

“Out of every 10 children under five years I see in my clinic seven are due to Respiratory Tract Infection. Gas flaring and artisanal refining have been identified as the major sources of soot in Port Harcourt amongst others”.

Examining the doctor’s experience both in his house and clinic, one will imagine what has become of the health challenge of millions of Rivers residents in the past five to seven years as the environs have been polluted by black soot.

Health is a complete physical, mental or social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. But the issue remains that perpetrators of these activities linking to health challenges does not regard that they and their families are also suffering the effect of their illicit actions.

A study done in Port Harcourt by Laura et al in 2017, established that major percentage of males in Port Harcourt have different degrees of structural anomalies in their spermatozoa.

While Dr. Briggs, had during the programme “called on government at all levels to tackle the issue of gas flaring accordingly”, Dr Giadom Ferdinand, a lecturer with the University of Port Harcourt, also “called on the government not to criminalise artisanal refiners in a bid to tackle the soot, but to establish cellular refineries for them”.

Advocacy by Environmentalists

In the past years, environmentalists and other concerned groups have advocated against pollution in Rivers State, using the Ogoniland experience as a kick-off, even if there is ongoing remediation the indigenes of the area still suffer effect of the action caused by multinational oil companies and illegal refining activities.

A renowned environmentalist and Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, had during his recent visit to a complex polluted community in Ogoniland, stated “You cannot stay here for long and remain healthy because the hydrocarbon is very thick in the atmosphere, in the air that we are breathing”.

Hydrocarbon, he said was very thick in the said community he visited, yet people move around the area looking for sources of livelihood.

During a sensitisation programme held in Port Harcourt, for environmental rights and human rights groups, the Coordinator of Centre for Environment Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, stressed that the Niger Delta region is faced with a serious environmental abuse.

“We are in a region where environmental rights are fundamental by existence because we depend on the environment for virtually everything for our livelihoods and quality lives. This region is highly degraded.”

Prof. Zabbey disclosed that the organisation at the end of the programme would map out a manual to educate the public on what their responsibility is in terms of defending and protecting the environment.

“It is the responsibility of every citizen to contribute to the protection of the environment as well as improving the quality of the environment “, Zabbey said.

Causes of Environmental Pollution
Experts have identified gas flaring, artisanal refining activities, burning of illegal crude by security agencies, burning of tyres, carbon emissions from cars and generating sets, and burning of waste at dump sites, as major causes of pollution in Rivers State.

Major Diseases/Illnesses Caused by Soot Pollution

Research has disclosed that as a result of the soot pandemic in the environment of Rivers State, there has been high rate of stroke, Ischaemic heart disease,
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Lung cancer, Liver disease, Kidney disease, infertility, amongst others.

Initial Protest

But the environmental hazard didn’t start today. In 2018, citizens and civil society organisations organised a walk against soot pollution in Port Harcourt and other areas of the state.

The soot started since 2016 and is believed to have been caused from incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon and related materials as well as pollution from asphalt companies, refineries and illegal artisanal refinery operators.

They also blamed the indiscriminate burning of confiscated vessels of crude oil thieves and destruction of illegal refineries by soldiers in the military Joint Task Force (JTF).

Thus, the protestors called for increased and transparent action by the authorities and IOCs to stop the pollution.
Hashtags such as “#StopTheSoot”, “#StopTheSootNow” were also developed and trended on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to advance the campaign.

Demands

Although the protest took place in 2018, their demands essentially remain the same; “persuade Representatives in the National and State Assemblies to move a motion to compel the Federal Government and its relevant agencies to declare an Environmental Emergency in the state;

“That the aforesaid National and State Assembly representatives should urgently move a motion calling for the immediate funding of the Ogoni Clean up in accordance with the recommendations of the UNEP Report;

“Provide a supplementary Budget for Ministry of Environment to embark on an immediate Environmental Audit of Rivers State and publish the findings; direct the Ministry of Health to embark on a street to street public health campaign;

“Order the ministry to collaborate with the Rivers State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association to collate the average state of health of residents of Rivers State and the identity a trend if any on the cause of death of persons in the last one year;

“Make findings the outcomes of its Committees on Health and Environment in exercise of its oversight functions for the past two years public; and insist that the local government chairman ensure the protection of their environment in collaboration with security agencies.”

Recommendations

Dr. Briggs mentioned that to tackle the issue of air pollution in Port Harcourt and other parts of Rivers state, “government should empower environmental agencies with finance and equipments to implement and enforce environmental laws, better remuneration for officers and men of security agencies, restructuring of the security agencies to being proactive rather than reactive,
security agents should return all stolen crude back to refineries instead of setting them ablaze.

“Ensuring IOCs conduct their businesses in line with International best practices. Stop gas flaring and artisanal refining, implement modular refinery as soon as possible”.

Also, in tackling the dreaded ‘Soot’ pollution, Chartered President of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco, Ms Emem Okon, noted that “a lot of people are cooking the oil (Kpofire business), other people are undertaking the marketing of the product. Through the valued shared, a lot of people are involved. So, if people have to leave the kpofire business (Illegal Refining), many people would be displaced from their means of livelihood.

“What we are looking at are those alternative or options, so that people will have something else to fall on if they should quit the kpofire business”, Okon opined.

Actions by State Government to End the Menace

Tired of waiting for the federal government to take steps to end the illicit actions that have endangered lives of residents of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike lamented the death recorded so far as a result of bad air pollution in the state. But beyond this, the governor has gone to the grassroot to tackle the menace.

Recently, the governor took the bull by the horn in tackling environmental pollution in Rivers. In his new year message, he declared war on operators of artisanal crude oil refineries in the state.

The governor directed the 23 council chairmen and community leaders to locate, identify and report to his office all those behind all illegal bunkering and crude oil refining sites in their localities for prosecution.

Complicity of Security Agencies

On this, Governor Wike said: “As a state government, we have drawn the attention of the federal government to this problem and requested for its intervention to stop the activities of illegal bunkering and artisanal crude oil refiners, which have been identified as the main sources of the soot pandemic.

“Unfortunately, the federal government has remained inexplicably silent over our request and even complicit to a large extent with the security agencies actively aiding, encouraging and protecting the artisanal refiners to continue with their harmful activities unabated.”

He regretted the failure of the federal government to take any action to end the soot crisis in the oil producing states, assuring that his administration cannot fold its arms and watch some deviant persons destroy the environment and health of the citizens.

The governor equally appealed to persons engaging in the illegal business to consider its negative effects on the economy, environment, public safety and public health and disengage from it.

Again, in a meeting with the traditional rulers, security agencies and LGA Chairmen, Governor Wike noted that illegal oil crude refinery activities constitute environmental hazard capable of causing cancer-related illnesses in the state.

According to him, his primary concern is to ensure that the health of residents of the state is not jeopardised.

Governor Wike berated the Nigerian Police for being complicit in the criminal act of illegal oil bunkering, and also described as embarrassing how officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have continued to be complicit in the act and shamelessly be involved in sabotaging the national economy.

“I don’t know how I can be a security officer sent to a place to protect people, to protect whatsoever belongs to the Federal Government, at the same time, I’m involved in sabotaging the national economy. I don’t understand how I can wear uniform and be involved in that. If they do not want to support us, we have no choice but to expose all the atrocities that is going on in this State.”

Based on the order to the LGA and reward offer by the governor, there has been a tremendous achievements, as many bunkering sites have been located and destroyed.

But with the efforts of the state government in tackling the soot menace in the past weeks, air value in Port Harcourt, the state capital has improved. But the question remains, will the government sustain this battle?

Quotes

You cannot stay here for long and remain healthy because the hydrocarbon is very thick in the atmosphere, in the air that we are breathing

As a state government, we have drawn the attention of the federal government to this problem and requested for its intervention to stop the activities of illegal bunkering and artisanal crude oil refiners, which have been identified as the main sources of the soot pandemic.

Unfortunately, the federal government has remained inexplicably silent over our request