Press Release!

ActionAgainstSootInTheNigerDelta 03 – 01 – 22 PRESS RELEASE

The ActionAgainstSootInTheNigerDelta applauds His Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Executive Governor of Rivers State on his administration’s resolve to stamp out Soot (Carbon Black) ravaging the State as contained in his New Year’s Speech.

To us as a pressure group with professionals and people from all walks of life, we consider it a welcome development, particularly because the soot situation in the State has gone beyond mere rhetorics to taking action. Soot is not party-friendly; it is a slow killer, affecting both male and female, old and young. Everyone suffers from its damaging consequences – from heart and lung failure to bronchitis, persistent sneezing and coughing that comes out with blood particles and more. It should be on record that Soot (Carbon Black) is threatening our existence as a people.

However, as we reflect on the speech, we are enthused by this stride as the Executive Governor has expressed his concern and went further to empower all Local Government Area (LGA) Chairmen to ensure the discontinuation of illegal refining stations and activities in their respective domains.

In addition, we wish to passionately appeal to the government to distribute nose masks and the enforcement of wearing same in schools as an interim measure; not just for prevention of the spread of COVID but also against inhaling a large chunk of the soot particles by our children and teachers as they resume academic activities pending the outcome of His Excellency’s order to end illegal refining activities throughout the State.

At ActionAgainstSootInTheNigerDelta, we are desirous to bringing to an end the Soot menace in the State; and we frankly do hope that the government will go beyond words to taking visible, actionable steps in stamping out soot by ensuring compliance and enforcement of its directives to the LGA Chairmen.

Finally, while we await action of governments at all levels to finding a permanent solution to the ravaging effect of Soot in the region, we want to reassure residents that we shall not rest in this Fight Against Soot; we shall continue to close ranks with relevant authorities until the battle against Soot is won and the Air Quality Index is brought back to normal, 0-50 which is considered good for inhaling as against the current 151 – 200 PM2.5 – which is unhealthy.

Thank you .

God bless Rivers State,
God bless the Niger Delta and Her People.
God bless Nigeria.

Signed:
For: ActionAgainstSootInTheNigerDelta.

Stephanie Ekpebulu Esq.
Benibo Daboye Bourdillon
Oyet Precious Raphael