By Monsurat Abisoye
Civil society organisations and environmental activists have urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, over persistent gas seepage that has polluted water sources and disrupted livelihoods in the community.
During a visit to affected areas on Saturday, Executive Director of Social Action, Isaac Osuoka, said gas had been bubbling from the ground and water bodies for more than six months, contaminating wells and rivers used for drinking water despite repeated appeals for government intervention.
Residents staged protests alongside the groups, carrying placards with messages including: “Our mangroves are gone, our water polluted” and “No farming, no fishing, no livelihood anymore in Bille.”
Osuoka criticised the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission for failing to take concrete action despite earlier visits and promises to investigate. He also warned of a possible fire outbreak, noting that Bille’s riverine terrain could hamper emergency response efforts.
Niger Delta activist Ann-Kio Briggs described the situation as alarming, citing visible gas emissions and strong odours across the community. She faulted the Federal Government’s delayed response, questioned the value of palliatives when residents lacked safe drinking water, and called on elected representatives to intervene.
Similarly, Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council, Eastern Zone, Datolu Sukubo, accused authorities of negligence and criticised the absence of comprehensive environmental studies to assess the full impact of the crisis.
The groups called for immediate government action to address the gas seepage, protect residents and prevent a potentially devastating environmental and humanitarian disaster in Bille Kingdom.
