Okon Bassey in Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Government is partnering the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, to mitigate the activities of oil bunkering and illegal mining in the state to ensure a safe, secured and healthy environment.
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ini Ememobong, when the officials of the NSCDC paid him a courtesy visit.
Ememobong noted that the safety of lives and properties could not be assured until the society is decriminalised.
He reiterated that the issues of oil bunkery and illegal mining do not only affect the economy of the country but are also hazardous to health and environment.
He said: “If you are opportuned to see the areas where this oil bunkering and illegal mining are carried out, you will find out that there is a complete devastation of our environment.
“This oil bunkers and miners influence the environment negatively in their operations. Lands that would have been utilised as farmlands are completely out of use. No safety measures taken at all.”
The commissioner also stated that oil spills on land is absorbed gradually into the soil layers before it gets to the outer layers, noting that the oil spilled when it gets to underground water diffused through the free flow of water to pollute the treams, ponds, sea, rivers, oceans and most importantly boreholes.
He said that the effects of bunkering and illegal mining included water pollution, air pollution, food poisoning due to carbon monoxide on leaves of plants and destruction of aquatic lives.
Ememobong applauded the NSCDC’s officials for securing the environment and extending their services to the safety of our agricultural farmlands and the health of our environment.
“When lands are not arable there is certainty for famine. This may be devastating to humanity. So I must commend you for a Job well done in trying to cut the supply chain of these bunkers and illegal miners,” Ememobong stated.
He suggested that to eradicate oil bunkery and illegal mining a non-violent approach should be taken such as rehabilitating the youths, through human capital development, amnesty, empowerment , trainings and licensing them to operate officially and linked them to the oil sector to work in modular refineries thus generating revenue for government for sustained development.
Speaking, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Eluwade M. Eluyemi, commended the state government for having a formidable workforce and promised to step up the tempo in securing the lives and properties of the people residing in Akwa Ibom.
Eluyemi pointed out that few arrests of illegal miners have been made.
