Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of deliberately planning to eliminate a greater percentage of the state’s population, by its alleged failure to act on the soot and its primary causes.

The governor said the attorney general has been directed to sue the federal government and International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the state, over the soot pollution.

Addressing a delegation of the United Nations (UN), yesterday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during a meeting to tackle the soot, Wike called on the UN to prevail on the federal government to act on the soot pollution.

He said: “We thank the United Nations for its concern on Rivers’ environment as it relates to the soot.

“If we must move on, we must situate the cause of the soot and the fact that the federal government has decided to make sure a greater percentage of the state dies.

“The federal government wants to eliminate a greater percentage of the state. The problem of soot is not caused by the Rivers State government. It is caused by federal agencies,” he said.

The governor said the federal government and its agencies were practically damaging the environment by their illegal activities.

“The Rivers State government does not own companies that refine crude. We have made representations to the federal government and her agencies on the issue of soot, to no avail.