SSDC Moves to Rescue Bille As Gas Seepage Threatens Lives, Livelihoods

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has delivered humanitarian relief materials to residents of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State following persistent gas seepage and methane emissions that have contaminated underground water sources, rivers and local wells.

The intervention, initiated by the commission’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ms Usoro Akpabio, is aimed at alleviating the hardship imposed on residents by the environmental crisis, which has disrupted livelihoods, threatened food security and affected access to safe drinking water.

Leading the SSDC delegation to the affected community, the Executive Director, Social Services and Human Capital Development, Preye Aganaba, conveyed the commission’s assurance that Bille would not be abandoned.

Akpabio, in a statement, described Bille as a significant economic hub in Rivers State and the South-south region, warning that the environmental emergency posed serious humanitarian and economic consequences.

“The plight of the people of Bille is of great concern to the commission. Their recovery remains a priority, and we want to assure them that they will not be overlooked in our developmental agenda,” she said.

She disclosed that the commission provided 86 categories of food and non-food items, including rice, beans, garri, noodles, cooking oil, mattresses, mosquito nets, wrappers, buckets, sanitary pads and baby diapers.

According to her, the intervention aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the commission to provide relief to vulnerable communities and accelerate development across the six South-south states.

Akpabio added that the SSDC’s response was designed to complement the efforts of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

She pledged the commission’s continued commitment to environmental protection, disaster resilience, sustainable infrastructure and livelihood restoration across the region.

Speaking on behalf of the Bille Council of Chiefs, its Chairman, Chief Bennett Okpoke, commended the SSDC for responding to the community’s plight but urged the federal and state governments to address the root cause of the crisis.

He said residents had endured prolonged gas and methane seepage, with devastating effects on their water sources, livelihoods and daily activities.

Okpoke appealed to relevant environmental and regulatory agencies to urgently develop a lasting solution to the pollution, warning that the community’s health and economic survival were at stake.

Also speaking, NEMA’s Head of Operations for Bayelsa and Rivers States, Dr Chidi Ogundu, said the agency had approached the SSDC over the emergency and commended the commission for its swift intervention.

He disclosed that an Environmental Impact Assessment had been conducted, with findings indicating significant adverse effects on the community.

Describing the situation as a collective responsibility, Ogundu said: “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

He further revealed that NEMA’s technical team had commenced efforts to address the community’s potable water challenges and reduce residents’ exposure to potential health hazards.

The relief materials, provided on behalf of the SSDC’s Managing Director, Board Chairman and management, were formally handed over to the community through NEMA.

The delegation was received by the Bille Council of Chiefs, representing King Igbikingeri Ngowari Cornelius Herbert, Agbaniye-Jike XVIII.