WAR AGAINST KPOFIRE:
DELGA Chairman Raids, Destroys Illegal Oil Bunkering Sites In Bille
•••Declares Zero Tolerance To Menace
•••As Community Backs Government's Action

In continuation of the fight against illegal oil bunkering activities in Degema Local Government Area, the Executive Chairman of the LGA, Hon. Michael John Williams, Sunday, raided and set ablaze, some artisanal refining sites, popularly known as kpofire at Oruama-Kiri in Bille Kingdom.

The Council Chairman, who went on the raid in company of some Community members, including chiefs and youths of Bille, as well as a detachment of security operatives, declared zero tolerance to the illicit act in the LGA.

He said government would no longer keep silent and watch, while some group of recalcitrant individuals, commit crimes against the State and humanity in general, through economic sabotage and generating deadly soot, that poses serious health challenge to people of Rivers State and beyond.

The Council Boss, who earlier visited the Palace of the Amanyanabo of Bille Kingdom, HRH King Igbikingeri Ngowari Cornelius Herbert, Agbaniye-Jike XVIII, commended the Monarch and people of Bille for swiftly swinging into action, in sensitizing their people against involving in the illegal activity, in line with the directive, issued to them at the end of the stakeholders meeting between the Council administration and traditional rulers in the LGA, last Tuesday.

He apprised that his visit to the Palace was to intimate the Monarch and his Council of Chiefs about his mission and seek their leave to invade their territory, in search of locations where the kpofire operations were taking place.

"Your Royal Highness, we are not here to kill, arrest or accuse anyone, but we are here, on the mandate of the Governor, to do the needful and stop this illegal activity that is threatening our very existence as humans inhabiting in this grossly polluted environment of ours.

"My father, the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, had aptly described this kpofire menace as worse than Boko Haram, because the latter is a known terrorist group, while the former is an invisible and deadly killer.

"If you see the level of degradation in our once flourishing and endowed environment, you will understand the reason why our mothers and fathers can no longer easily get fishes, prawns, shrimps, perewinkles, oysters and other rich seafoods in our nearby creeks, without going far into the ocean.

"I therefore appeal to our people to cooperate with government to end this menace and restore our ecosystem for the benefit of the present and future generations," Hon. Williams stated.

In his response, the Amanyanabo of Bille Kingdom, HRH King Igbikingeri Ngowari Cornelius Herbert, Agbaniye-Jike XVIII, commended the Council Chairman for courageously leading the fight against the illegal bunkering activities across the LGA, even on a Sunday, praying God to continue to grant him more courage, wisdom and strength to serve the people of DELGA.

The Monarch stated that following the directive given to the traditional rulers, as custodians of their Communities, the people of Bille had already started sensitizing their people and urging whosoever that is involved to stop immediately, as it was not only an economic sabotage against the government, but also very hazardous to people living and doing business within the area.

The traditional ruler, who declared the full support of Bille people to the operation in the area, also disclosed that the community would soon set up an Anti-Kpofire Surveillance Committee, to be headed by the Councillor representing Bille (Ward 16), Hon. Elvis Osima Pretoru Gogo, whose mandate would be to routinely scout the area and report findings to government.

The royal father restated his earlier call on government to revisit the concept of modular refineries as a panacea for the scourge, as according to him, establishing same would not only permanently address the issue, but would also create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths across the troubled Niger Delta region.

The Council Chairman was accompanied on the raid by principal officers of Degema Council, chiefs representing the Bille Council of Chiefs, youths and members of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Bille Clan, and a combined team of Security operatives.


Daerefa-a Christopher Braide
Chief Press Secretary,
Degema Local Government Council

January 16, 2022

Nice one.
Keeping it clean

Good

Seems the SS are now waking up to tackle this menace.

O set go

If e better of every man, ajibole e no go dey.

Our govt. Is the worst Taliban I've ever seen, eating up its 0wn.

RichDad1:
Seems the SS are now waking up to tackle this menace.

Huh ?

Holly Gram WTF MAN

Well done LG Chairman..

But While isn't your father, he's your Governor, stop sycophancy

Great. Hope it is sustained though and not just for the gram.

The next focus should be those Abokis living by Tap Junction. Open defecation on the center of the high way should be condemned in its entirety. Abokis must learn to live like normal civilized human beings and stop messing up people's places.

Good job. But setting ablaze the refineries is still destroying the environment

same ol fire brigade approach.
Two weeks from now on, there would be more kpo fire sites. It's not like they can stop it.

Army generals, navy, nscdc, police, they all have sites they're guarding and operating.

Earning 4.2 million plus from a 33,000litres trailer load of pms?
Their salary in a year isn't up to this. Hence the greed. Na why kpo sites plenty like POS stand for mainland.


Most of these big sites load at least one to two trucks per day. Not to talk about the little jerry can sites.

Hmm...

I hope this good action will be supported by more people & the chairman won't be left to carry his cross when the devilish bunkerers fight back.

If communities come against these guys, especially when they are still trying to set up shop, they cannot survive. But once they are entrenched, they are difficult to dislodge...

Armed robbers and militants will soon resume their operations in Rivers state.

The state with the highest concentration of lazy people.

I see militants going back to creek soon.

Hmmmm

ntyce:
Well done LG Chairman..

But While isn't your father, he's your Governor, stop sycophancy

What will we say about mannabbq that calls buhari is "darling daddy" and his wife his "sweet mummy"?
I wonder what he will call yusuf and his sibling.

Still releasing more soot... Burning wasn't necessary

Thumbs up to Wike on this one

The price of Kerosene which is used mostly by PH residents will increase.

NSCDC. Thay were fingered as the major security provider for the bunkerers. In fact it was alleged that one of their commanders owns an illegal refinery.

This outfit is fast becoming an anathema that will likely be worse than the Nigerian police.

Good move, the amount People are going to spend to treat lung diseases from inhaling soot over several months cannot be paid by the operators of these illegal refineries. Its good that the people are taking over the protection of their environment by themselves since Civil Defence is part of the problem by collaborating with the vandals and bunkerers

Election is near. Everybody wanna look good in the eyes of the masses. Took them 6 years to act. But better late than never

FuckDModz:
Armed robbers and militants will soon resume their operations in Rivers state.

The state with the highest concentration of lazy people.

You are so right .They are clamping down on the business that is keeping them busy.

Good one, keep it up!

jst look at how dis illegal bunkering guys are polluting the environment... the picture of dat place says it all...

FuckDModz:
Armed robbers and militants will soon resume their operations in Rivers state.

The state with the highest concentration of lazy people.

Common shut up you stinking mouth. So the govt shouldn't destroy these illegal refineries?
Or you are part of the menace that's why it pains you?

Has any Northern official raided and
destroy any illegal gold mining site, even
as the sites are now controlled by
killer bandits ❓❓

Kingpin1000:

Common shut up you stinking mouth. So the govt shouldn't destroy these illegal refineries?
Or you are part of the menace that's why it pains you?

Your father had serious issues comprehending simple statements. I'd be shocked if you fared better.

Mugu.