Governor Nyesom Wike, concerned about the environmental degradation caused by soot in portions of Rivers State, has ordered the immediate closure of all illicit oil refining operations.

The Governor asked the Chairmen of Councils, specifically the Port Harcourt City Local Government, to identify such places and carry out his directive.

He has also asked all council Chairmen and community leaders to locate, identify, and report to his office all individuals responsible for illegal bunkering and crude oil refining sites in their areas for prosecution.

Wike issued the command in his 2022 New Year greeting on Saturday, citing the Federal Government and its security services’ failure to rein in those behind illicit oil bunkering and artisanal crude oil refiners in the state.

The governor’s decision was stated in a statement released to the media by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri.

The Governor said, “As a State Government, we have drawn the attention of the Federal Government to this problem and requested for its intervention to stop the activities of illegal bunkering and artisanal crude oil refiners, which have been identified as the main sources of the soot pandemic.

“Unfortunately, the Federal Government has remained inexplicably silent over our request and even complicit to a large extent with the security agencies actively aiding, encouraging, and protecting the artisanal refiners to continue with their harmful activities unabated.”

The governor stated that the state government has also unsuccessfully urged those involved in this unlawful enterprise to consider the harmful impacts on the economy, environment, public safety, and public health and withdraw from it.

Governor Wike stated that his administration will do all possible to achieve citizens’ hopes for a more peaceful, safe, and secure society throughout the year 2022.

“We will continue to pursue our objectives for a stronger and more sustainable economy centered on fiscal discipline, revenue growth, job creation, and improved standard of living for all residents,” he said.

“We will continue to accelerate our development with the sustainable delivery of quality roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and other socio-economic infrastructure and complete all ongoing development projects across the State.”