The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has delivered humanitarian relief materials to residents of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, responding to a persistent environmental crisis caused by gas seepage and methane emissions. The intervention, initiated by SSDC Managing Director Ms. Usoro Akpabio, aims to alleviate the immediate hardships faced by communities whose water sources, rivers, and local wells have been contaminated by the ongoing pollution.
Ms. Akpabio, who was represented by Executive Director Preye Aganaba during the handover, emphasized that the SSDC would not abandon the affected community, stating that their recovery remains a top priority. She described Bille as a critical economic hub in Rivers State and the broader South-South region, warning that the environmental damage has consequences that extend far beyond property loss. According to the commission, the seepage has disrupted local businesses, threatened food security, displaced families, and deprived residents of their primary livelihoods.
The relief package comprises 86 categories of food and non-food items, including rice, beans, garri, noodles, groundnut oil, palm oil, mattresses, mats, wrappers, mosquito nets, buckets, sanitary pads, and baby diapers. Ms. Akpabio stated that this action fulfills President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the commission to provide succour to vulnerable communities and accelerate development across the six states of the South-South region. She further noted that the SSDC’s efforts are designed to complement the ongoing work of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“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,” Ms. Akpabio said.
Chidi Ogundu, the Head of NEMA for Bayelsa and Rivers states, confirmed that the agency had contacted the SSDC regarding the environmental emergency and expressed appreciation for the swift response. Ogundu disclosed that an Environmental Impact Assessment had been conducted, revealing significant adverse effects on the community. He added that NEMA’s technical team has already commenced efforts to address the community’s potable water challenges, specifically targeting the contamination caused by the gas seepage.
While acknowledging the relief efforts, Chief Bennett Okpoke, Chairman of the Bille Council of Chiefs, called for urgent government intervention to address the root cause of the crisis. Speaking on behalf of the community, Okpoke noted that residents have endured the seepage for a considerable period, resulting in devastating consequences for their health and economic survival. He appealed to the Federal and Rivers State governments, as well as relevant regulatory agencies, to provide a lasting solution to the pollution. The relief materials were formally handed over to the community through NEMA in the presence of His Royal Majesty, King Igbikingeri Ngowari Cornelius Herbert, Agbaniye-Jike XVIII.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
