There is no Kpofire activity at Ogu/Bolo, we are a transit community — Nemieboka

By Amaike Ihuoma Okoronkwo Port Harcourt

The campaign against black soot’s and illegal refining of petroleum products by illegal operators known as ‘Kpofire’ as commenced by the Rivers State governor Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike  has been launched to the good people of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the State.

This campaign was led by the Executive Chairman of the Local Government Hon. Barrister Vincent Nemieboka in a town hall meeting with stakeholders, the Amanyanabo, cabinet chiefs, youths and women of the area.

According to the Chairman, his office as the local government chairman would go to any length to carry out the assignment as instructed by the Rivers state governor Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

In his speech to the people at the community square, he stressed that the Rivers State Government would no longer tolerate any form of illegal refining in the entire state.

“In the last two weeks, the governor of Rivers State had been embarking on a patriotic fight against illegal bunkering and bunkers in Rivers State. He is doing this as a result of the fact that the illegal bunkering is detrimental to our surroundings and survival.

“It had generated and still generating massively the hydrocarbons that are affecting the atmosphere. In the last few years we have observed the problems of cancer, respiratory diseases and what have you which are some of the consequences of these nefarious activities.

“Efforts have been made by him to approach the federal government to help in the fight against illegal bunkering and illegal oil mining in Rivers State. Unfortunately these efforts didn’t achieve any positive result.

“But as a government and as the governor of the state, he decided to mobilise the state as to fight these nefarious and criminal activities. On the bases of that, about two weeks ago he directed all local government chairmen to join in the fight to ensure that these crimes are fought to a stand-still.

“I am here to carry out that directive but before we do that, I thought that it is necessary to have this advocacy visit. We have spoken to the people in our language and we believe that they understand and appreciate our position.

“I am also stressing the fact that all those who are involved in these activities should stop, if they don’t stop anyone caught would be prosecuted including those who are selling these products because if there are no lucrative sales outlets, their production would be reduced drastically.

“We have also been directed to destroy their facilities and that we are embarking on but the challenge we are facing is that Ogu/Bolo is not a production location but a transit community where these products are transported to other states.

“In the last two years the Nigerian military had fought the kpofire businesses at Bolo community where it was predominant to a standstill, all the production facilities were destroyed right now it is no longer there. Ogu/Bolo has a unique problem which remains that we are used as a transit community where all these illegal products are transported massively to other states because of our proximity to the seaport.”

He took time to unravel pollution and other environmental damages residents of the state have been faced with which are not the same with residents of Abuja and other states outside Rivers State and some other states of the Niger Delta where these crimes are predominant.

He went further to warn that his task force ably led Honourable Daniel the secretary of the Ogu/Bolo Locak Government Council is duty bound to arrest culprits who would not heed to the governors instructions in Ogu/Bolo council area.

In his words, “The Rivers State Governor has empowered every Local Government chairman to even pull down facilities including houses of these criminals should we find out their hiding places, hence this may be the only time you have otherwise you would face the wrath of the law.”

Responding the Amanyanabo of Ogu/Bolo, HRH King Acheseinimie Micah Frank JP, KSC Bolo-Luka Viii told journalists that there are no kpofire activities within their local council rather the wind that blows the soot goes everywhere, hence they are present to inform their people that the Rivers state government would deal decisively with anyone found carrying out such an activity amongst them.

Some of the respondents who lent their voices included religious leaders, traditional leaders women and youths.