x

Nigeria goes after illegal oil refineries to curb pollution

Nigerian civil servant and mother of four Grace Ekang has been having chest pains lately, and when she sneezes, black stains appear on her handkerchief.

Inside her house in the Rivers state city of Port Harcourt, Ekang has noticed that the black soot gathering on her floor is getting heavier. She and other residents blame this on illegal, makeshift oil refineries scattered across the Niger Delta.

Local authorities have started a crackdown to try put a stop to illegal refining of stolen crude, a process known locally as “Kpo Fire”, which officials say is worsening air pollution in the Delta and causing respiratory problems for some residents.

“I realised that we have chest pains, headaches and if we sneeze it is worse because if you do it on a white handkerchief what comes out is black,” said Ekang as she mopped the floor of her living room.

“If we leave white clothes out there we come back to see them with black spots all over.”

Samuel Nwanosike, chairman of Ikwerre local government area in Port Harcourt said 128 of 142 illegal refining sites identified by authorities in the area had been destroyed since the crackdown started in January.

“We (will) continue to destroy until all illegal refining sites in our communities are destroyed completely,” he said during a raid of some illegal sites in Port Harcourt.

High unemployment in the Niger Delta has made illegal crude refining an attractive business. It involves illegal tapping of crude from a maze of pipelines owned by oil majors and burning it at high temperature in makeshift tanks.

The hazardous process adds another layer of pollution in a region that has endured oil spills for decades and destroyed farmlands, creeks and lagoons.

Only last week, an oil vessel storing up to 60,000 barrels of crude exploded offshore in Nigeria, spilling more oil.

Several people involved in illegally refining oil declined to comment fearing arrest by security agents.

Some environmental groups are pushing the government to fund small refineries, which are cheaper and simple to run, hoping to create jobs and ending illegal refining of oil.

Hot this week

Editors Urge Government To Create Safe, Enabling Environment For Journalists

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalist As...

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari orders probe of Isa Funtua, AMCON over keystone and Etisalat

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party,...

6 Signs your boyfriend thinks you are ugly -Take note of No. 2

They say there are three kinds of people; the...

2023: South-East, Middle Belt Forum Endorses Peter Obi

The South-East and Middle Belt Forum has endorsed the...

Enehe Urges Muslims to Embrace Righteous Living

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja The Chairman of Kogi State Internal...

Senator Joel-Onowakpo Lauds President Tinubu’s Strategic Efforts on Security

Senator Joel-Onowakpo Lauds President Tinubu's Strategic Efforts on Security By...

Mokwa Flood: FG Reassures Safety, uninterrupted vehicular Movement On Bridge

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju Following the Mokwa flood disaster which eroded...

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Denies Viral Audio Alleging Tinubu Blackmail

Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has firmly...

12 Compelling Reasons to Try Dating via Cam Chat

Video chat has dramatically transformed online communication, breathing new...

Absence of Prosecution Team  Stall Terrorism Trial in Delta

By Anne Azuka  The absence of the prosecution team in...

Senator Joel-onowakpo Advocates Local Workforce Development to Curb Unemployment

By Anne Azuka  The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content,...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img