…Govt not helping matter

By Loveth Ojogun

A Niger Delta born environmentalist and peace advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff has shown apprehension over the fire outbreak at Opuekeba flow-station well head in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, and called on American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited CNL, to act immediately to resolve the raging fire.

Sherriff made this known in Koko headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area.

He said that Chevron should act quickly to remedy the situation because of the safety of people in the host communities.

He said that if the company should be lackadaisical to this call, he was afraid about the fate of people in Tsekelewo, Opuama Communities and environs, because of the imminent danger that the fire portends to their environment and property.

Comrade Sherriff said that he was afraid the fire was escalating of which if not immediately handled, would leave tears on peoples jaws.

He therefore urged the multinational oil company to revisit, adopt and adhere to international environment best practices that would avert further occurrence.

He lamented the adverse effect of the fire pollution, adding that the people in the area were prone to terminal diseases as a result of the fire.

According to him, “It is regrettable and debilitating to see IOCs carry out environmentally destructive oil and gas exploration and related activities in the Niger Delta region.

“They are deliberately exploiting the people for profit above safety of the environment where they are making money from as they always take advantage of Nigeria docile environmental policies and bad governance to continually ruin the region ecosystem.”

Sherriff however called on the Federal and State Governments to see reason they should not be lame-duck in addressing environmental issues.

He said, “The weak policy on environment by government is giving oil companies the audacity to destroy our source of livelihood and survival.

“It is out of place for the people to suffer various forms of hardship and deprivation, while the few in power and the oil businesses people who should speak against these anomalies on the common man keep mute because they have their various interests to protect.

“As human right crusader, I owe the citizens the duty to fight for objective policies, we must rise above sentiments and fight against this brazen neglect which our unborn generation would inherit and may wonder what their forbears did to protect their God given habitat.”