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Pledges upgrade of community health centre
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has called for a swift and comprehensive resolution of the challenges arising from the gas leakage in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
In line with that commitment, Governor Fubara pledged that the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bille would be upgraded to enable it to address the health challenges confronting the community.
He made the pledge at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday during an enlarged meeting of key stakeholders, comprising representatives of the federal government, the state government and leaders of the community.
The meeting was convened to review the situation in the community and explore available opportunities to protect residents from the adverse impacts of environmental pollution.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Governor Fubara acknowledged the determination of the federal government and its agencies to get to the root cause of the problem in Bille and ensure that it is resolved permanently.
He said, “The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. You’re aware that there is a case of gas leakage somewhere in Bille, and the people have been making some requests that the government should come to their rescue to resolve the situation.
“As a state, we have gone to see the situation in the community, not alone but in conjunction with the industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are doing today is an enlarged meeting where all the parties are sitting together to look at the cause of the issue and the most possible way to get the problem resolved.”
Governor Fubara described the outcome of the meeting as successful, stressing that more action would be taken in the coming weeks to ensure that the issue is fully resolved.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the federal government’s delegation to the meeting, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for his warm hospitality and efforts to address the challenge in the Bille community.
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Ekpo explained that, contrary to perceptions in some quarters, the federal government had not been silent on the “gas seepage” but had been working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
He explained that as soon as the incident was reported, the federal government deployed experts to the area to investigate the cause of the problem.
Ekpo said that initially, it was difficult to determine the cause of the problem because there were no oil or gas infrastructure facilities within the vicinity of the incident, hence the need for a more detailed investigation.
He continued: “The investigation is still ongoing, but we decided to do a follow-up visit to the area to talk to the people of Bille community, as we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We can understand their anxiety, the worry and the danger that this thing poses within the area, but the federal government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem.
“The primary responsibility of government is to take care of the welfare and security of the people, and that is exactly why we are here to go and see things for ourselves.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, also explained that as the regulatory agency at the centre of the issue, no effort would be spared in resolving it.
Eyesan pledged that the NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of the affected community, including the provision of potable water and fire trucks.
The Public Relations Officer of the Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, C. Rena Dappa, had during the meeting presented the challenges facing the community and appealed for government support to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the people.
