Written by Blessed Adjekpagbon
 |
| Soot rising from the site of crude oil refiners |
The folks living in various communities where crude oil is being
tapped in the Niger Delta of Nigeria have been facing environmental and health
hazards from the beginning of time since multinational oil exploration
companies began operation in the region from the 1960s till date.
In retrospect, from my childhood experience when l usually
followed my maternal grandmother to farm to harvest cassava tubers, oil spill
damaged her farm land and made the tubers decay underground. Since then, l have
been wondering when the environmental degradation of the area will stop.
Most of the local folks in the region are farmers and fishermen.
They have no other means of sustaining themselves. When one of our farms land
was damaged by oil spill, we suffered the consequences in silence for years,
because the local government authority of our community was unable to assist us
and other affected farmers to get compensation.
The situation of the environment and health of the folks have
become more threatened over the years due to the emergence of new illegal local
refining oil groups and bunkering operations in the area.
The people living in Port Harcourt especially, are the worst hit
in recent times as the activities of oil explorers have been producing soot
spreading in the atmosphere and settling into residential buildings from time
to time.
Hence, the residents had vehemently cried out following the
increase in horrible black soot that blanketed the atmosphere due to the unchecked
activities of illegal refiners in the state.
Nonetheless, not quite long, Bulkybon
News gathered that there has been renewed worry by some folks in the state
capital as the 2023 general elections in Nigeria draws nearer. Some folks said
the amount of black soot in the atmosphere may return again soon as it usually
happens when some local politicians suspected to be sponsors of oil bunkering
resume their activities in order to make brisk petro - dollar to pursue their
political activities. According to some observers, the usually naturally bright
weather of the city turns into a deadly harmattan - like hazy atmosphere when it
is not yet the season, whenever local illegal oil refiners intensifies their
operations.
While speaking with one of the folks on the condition of
anonymity, he said, "l just hope people will not start dropping dead soon
before government do something about it as we are approaching elections period
in Nigeria. Our government from local to federal level is not proactive. It
does not usually take proactive steps to checkmate life threatening
environmental and human health situations, until it gets out of control just
like other societal ills like kidnappings and banditry that were not nipped in
the bud at their early stages of happening.
"One other reason illegal refiners of oil engage in such
bad business is when there is fuel scarcity. Many people usually cough due to
the effect of soot on their health. Those suffering from asthmatic disease can
easily die as a result of the choking effect of the soot."
He further pointed that people found it difficult to go about
their daily compulsory activities without putting on nose mask (face mask)
because of the health threatening situation, especially during the twilight of
2021 when soot blanketed everywhere in the city.
Moreover, other respondents that also choose to speak on the
condition of anonymity to avoid falling victims of attack by those responsible
for the soot said a lot of folks coughed uncontrollably and fell ill due to
constant inhalations of soot during such occasions.
"Even dogs kept barking and became restless when they could
not properly breath," one of the respondents said.
Therefore, at this point in time, they want government to take
drastic action to stop the recurring decimal of environmental and health
pollution by both multinational and illegal refiners of oil in the region, as
fuel scarcity is being experienced at present, in some states in the country.
END
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