Residents of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have called for the urgent deployment of mobile health services to address what they describe as a deepening environmental and public health crisis linked to oil and gas activities in the area.

The demand formed the central message at a press conference held in Port Harcourt by Social Action Nigeria in collaboration with community representatives, where leaders warned that the health of residents is increasingly at risk due to exposure to contaminated water sources.

Presenting findings from a newly released report titled “From Extraction to Eruption: Oil, Gas and the Unfolding Environmental and Health Crisis in Bille Kingdom,” the Resource Justice, Democracy and Governance Manager of the organisation, Dr. Prince Ekpere Edegbuo, said conditions in the community point to an unfolding emergency.

According to him, field assessments revealed alarming signs of pollution, including gas bubbling in wells and other sources of drinking water, exposing residents to potential health hazards through ingestion, skin contact and inhalation.

He noted that while a short documentary highlighting the situation would be made public, it captures only a fraction of the reality, stressing that the actual conditions on ground are far more severe.

Community leaders who addressed journalists said the situation has gone beyond environmental degradation and now constitutes a direct threat to public health and safety, describing it as a humanitarian crisis.

Chairman of the Bille Kingdom Council of Traditional Rulers, Chief Benneth Okpokiye-Dokubo, after acknowledging the N100 million support provided by the Rivers State Government as a palliative measure from the Rivers state government, maintained that it falls short of addressing the magnitude of the crisis.

The Guardian)

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