Following the recent increase in activities of illegal refiners and bunkerers, there is now a heavy surge of deadly black soot in the atmosphere. A reviewed report of a technical team set up by the Rivers State government and headed by the state’s former Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya, revealed that about 22,077 persons have suffered from respiratory-related ailments in the last five years. That number is about to triple in the coming months if it hasn’t already.

I am certain that this Black soot will lead to a wide range of serious health effects, including premature death, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as acute bronchitis and aggravated asthma among children.

Residents of Rivers state now wake up blurred atmosphere, stained homes, erratic and inconsistent rainfall all as a result of Black Soot which the state government and related persons have failed to resolve.

We cannot fold our hands watch while lives and the environment are reduced to politicking, business and all sorts of exploitations that has happened for years.

To stop this, all forms of air pollution particularly Oil bunkering, Unauthorised gas flaring and indiscriminate open space burning should be stopped and discouraged. 

The time to act is right now!