The federal government has assured the people of the Bille community in degama local government area of Rivers’ state of its commitment to resolving the ongoing gas emissions from beneath the earth in the affected area.
The delegation, led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, senator Ekperike Ekpo, accompanied by the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s chief executive stated this during a visit to Bille Community to ascertain the root causes of the leakage in the community
For several months, there have been gas emissions from beneath the ground in Bille Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers state.
This impacted residents’ source of livelihood contaminating aquatic and terrestrial life. The federal government delegation visited the community to observe the situation firsthand.
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Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo accompanied by the Chief Executive of the Nigerian upstream petroleum regulatory commission NUPRC, after a tour to the effected areas said government is carrying out a comprehensive scientific investigation to unravel the root cause of the gas seepage in Bille community.
While acknowledging the impact of the gas seepage on the people of bille ,the NUPRC Chief Executive reaffirmed the Commission’s determination to work with technical experts in the oil and gas industry to address the situation
Speaking on behalf of the Paramount Ruler, the Chairman of the Bille Council of Chiefs expressed appreciation for the intervention. He, however, called on the government to ensure the community benefits fully from the mineral resources on their land.
(Editor; Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
