The Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco has commended Governor Wike on his
pronouncement against artisanal oil refiners in Rivers state in a bid to tackle the
dangers of Soot.
The Club in a statement signed by the Charter President, Rotarian Emem Okon wishes
Governor Wike A Happy New Year
and prayed that God provides him wisdom, understanding and resources to
implement his lofty plans for the State in year 2022.
Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco is one of the over 40 Rotary Clubs in Port
Harcourt. The Club was chartered on the 11th of January 2021 in response to the
policy statement of Rotary International Board in September 2020 on the
environment area of focus. The Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco is the first
Rotary Club in West Africa and the second in Africa whose key focus is
environmental protection and conservation.
The Club expressed appreciation for the stance of the Rivers State
Government on the Soot Situation in the State saying that the pronouncement of the governor on the issue in his new year message was ab indication
that he was poised to address the
Soot epidemic .
The Rotary Club described the Governor as very sensitive and responsive to the
yearnings of the people in Rivers state adding”This is heroic, valiant and laudable”.
The Governor’s declaration of war against soot is coming barely a month after a Soot Conference organized by Rotary Club of Port
Harcourt Eco and its Coalition of partners on 9th December 2021 at Horlikins
Event Centre, Port Harcourt showed the impact of the soot
Presentations during the conference revealed the health implications of the soot
and how everyone in Rivers state is a smoker by reason of inhaling soot on a
daily basis and “dying by installment”.
The Conference
recommended the following among others:
Establishment of Cellular refineries and legitimize artisanal refining
activities, turning them from an informal “illegal” sector into a normal
official sector of the economy that can be taxable.
Establish refining corridors in different localities where artisanal refining
take place.
Establish air quality management authority and other air quality indices
as well as air quality monitoring stations in epicenter of the soot epidemic.
Periodic publishing of air quality data and health checks (Open Access
Central Repository for Data).
Security agencies to stop burning of “Kpo Fire” sites and products.
Political Will to end gas flaring
Appropriate disposal of hydrocarbon substances
Provision of employment for teeming unemployed youths.
Massive Tree Planting
Identification and containment of pollution sites at source.
Collaboration of government at all levels with civil society organizations,
traditional rulers, faith based groups, youth groups, women and media
organizations in protecting the environment in a sustainable manner.
“We support the Governor in his call on the Federal Government to respond to
the issues that have given rise to the soot epidemic in the state.
We look forward to responses by other stakeholders to salvage the lives of
residents in Rivers state from the Soot. Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco
supports a WIN-WIN strategy to resolving the soot issue. We are calling for a
Multi-stakeholder approach to tackle the problem holistically, where every
stakeholder involved wins and the environment is protected in a more
sustainable manner. We are open and very willing to working with the Governor
of Rivers state and every interested stakeholder to address the soot epidemic.
The lives of people in Rivers state matter! The health of the people matter!
The environment matters” It said.
