A Niger Delta Environmental Health Advocacy group, Women for Sustainability has expressed optimism that ‘soot’ which appeared in the region following the activities of crude oil/products thieves will soon be a thing of the past.
This was disclosed by the group convener, Ms. Ibieye Batubo in a statement on Wednesday.
She credited the almost disappearance of the soot to ongoing military operations to rid the region of economic criminals.
According to her, residents of the region, particularly those living in Port-Harcourt city, are excited that the military is gradually finding solutions to the air pollution that affects the health of the people.
She added that the investigations carried out by the group revealed that, even though it had not been completely eradicated, the situation was far better than what it was before now.
While urging residents of the region to work with troops in solving the noticeable problems, Batubo commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, for his commitment towards finding a solution to the economic problem.
“While we commend the Defence Headquarters for playing a major role in the reduction of soot in the region, we say it is still not Uhuru.
“We want to have an environment devoid of pollution that breeds diseases.
“We, therefore, appeal to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. LEO Irabor, and his troops not to give in to the antics of the crude oil thieves, some of whom are not ready to give up on crime.
“For the very first time, we have a CDS that has visited the region on several occasions because of economic sabotage,” she said.