The Delta State government has delivered relief materials worth millions of naira to Polobubo (Tsekelewu) community in Warri North council area of the state.
Read Also: Benue floods threaten food prices
The relief materials, delivered, on Wednesday, by government officials, led by the co-chairman of the Delta State Flood Management Committee, Omamofe Pirah, were sent in to help cushion the effect of the flood that swept the community.
In his response, the National President of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) National Council (PNC), Mr Ebilate Mac-Yoroki, commended the Delta state government for quickly responding to the plight of the people of the community, noting that the action would go a long way to reassure the people that they had not been totally abandoned to “a perilous fate”.
According to the community leader, the community had remained one of the most peaceful and law-abiding in the state, despite its numerous socioeconomic and environmental challenges, adding that if the oil companies operating within its environment and the federal government respond as swiftly, there would be no need for protests.
“We thank the governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and his team in the executive council, for this response, we are especially delighted that it is coming swiftly.
“However, we are asking that this intervention should not stop with relief materials, but they should go on to prevail on Chevron to correct this environmental error, which has brought so much pain, discomfort and deaths to Polobubo; they should block the channel they dug from the ocean into our community and dredge our so badly silted waterways.
“This is the most urgently needed intervention, after which other remediations can follow.
“We also call on the federal government to take the suffering of Polobubo people and their environment more seriously, we one contributing immensely to the national economy, through the huge quantum of crude oil being extracted from our soil.
“They should not watch our people die. We complained of all sorts of pollutions, especially during the last well-head fire at Ipkalapkala-Bou well-head, but none of the federal agencies that should act has acted.
“Federal government needs to take a cue from this very laudable action of our state government”, he said.
Earlier, the eldest man of Polobubo Community, Pa Edebe Pabloba, while welcoming the state government’s delegation, lamented that since oil exploration started in the community the community has not known peace.
Pa Pabloba, called on the Federal and state government to prevail on Chevron Nigeria Limited to help dredge the canal they have dug some years ago saying that this action has brought a lot of silt into the freshwater.
He said the activities of the oil companies have turned their freshwater into saltwater killing most aquatic life and making it difficult for them to fish.
The Committee has the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chiedu Ebie as the Chairman.
Other members of the committee present during the tour include; Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, and Commissioner for Environment, Chris Onogba.
Pirah who spoke to newsmen shortly after the tour assured the affected communities that the state government would do all it can to assist all communities in the state affected by this year’s flood.
