Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for a swift and lasting resolution to the gas leakage in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area, while pledging to upgrade the community’s Primary Healthcare Centre to address the health challenges arising from the incident.
Fubara made the commitment on Wednesday during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt, attended by representatives of the Federal Government, Rivers State Government, regulatory agencies, industry operators and leaders of the affected community.
The meeting reviewed the environmental and health implications of the gas leakage and explored measures to mitigate its impact on residents.
Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara ( middle) in a group photograph with other stakeholders at the end of the meeting in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the governor said the state government had been working closely with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and industry operators to determine the cause of the incident and ensure a permanent solution.
“The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. There is a case of gas leakage in the community, and the people have appealed to government to intervene.
“As a state, we have visited the community alongside industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. Today’s enlarged meeting brought all relevant stakeholders together to examine the cause of the problem and agree on the most effective way to resolve it,” he said.
Fubara expressed optimism over the outcome of the discussions, describing the meeting as productive and assuring residents that further actions would be taken in the coming weeks to permanently address the problem.
He also announced that the Primary Healthcare Centre in Bille would be upgraded to improve healthcare delivery and respond more effectively to health concerns linked to the gas leakage.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the Federal Government delegation, commended the governor for his prompt intervention and commitment to the welfare of the affected community.
Ekpo said contrary to public perception, the Federal Government had been actively investigating the incident since it was reported.
According to him, experts were immediately deployed to the area, but investigations proved challenging because there are no known oil or gas facilities near the site of the seepage.
“The investigation is ongoing, but we decided to return to engage the people of Bille because their cooperation is essential to achieving a lasting solution.
“The safety of the people remains our priority. We understand their concerns and the risks posed by the incident, and the Federal Government is committed to resolving the problem permanently,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, assured residents that the commission and industry operators would continue to support efforts to mitigate the impact of the incident.
She said arrangements were being made to provide potable water and deploy fire trucks to the community while investigations and remediation efforts continue.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, Chief Rena Dappa, outlined the challenges facing the community and appealed for urgent government intervention to protect the lives and livelihoods of residents.
