Ogbe-Ijoh IYC accuses Nigeria Navy of crude oil pollution on waterways – The Liberator
By Binebai Princewill
The Ogbe-ijoh Warri Kingdom Chapter of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC has accused the Nigeria Navy of polluting its waterways with alleged indiscriminate dumping of ceased illegal crude oil products.
Chairman of the Ogbe-ijoh Warri Kingdom structure of IYC, Amb. Engr. Smart Okosu made allegation against the Nigeria Navy via a statement issued to newsmen in Warri, Delta State, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspaper yesterday.
Speaking on the situation, Amb. Okosu said the action has brought untold hardship to his people, stressing that the Chief of Naval staff must caution his officials to be more professional in their dealings with illegal products.
However, Chairman Okosu had threatened to carry out massive protest to put an end to pollution of Ogbe-ijoh Warri Kingdom waterways.
The statement reads: “With a heart full of pain, we call on the chief of Naval staff to task his men to be more professional in their actions by dumping arrested product in our river, the only source of survive of the old men and women is the river but now polluted by Nigeria navy.
“How those who can not go to the urban areas now survive now through out this night, the waterway of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri arri territory, camps and communities etc is enveloped with black oil or crude everywere.
“If this continues, I will mobilize my youths to the office of navy staff for a protest if they refuse to carry out cleaning of our environment now, over time, we caution them to look for a place to dump their arrested products not to pollute our communities and river, where our source of survival is.
“Now, our old mothers can’t bath from the waterfront in our respective communities,can’t fetch water to cook, wash or drink from it any longer.”
Meanwhile, all efforts geard towards reaching out to NNS Delta proves abortive in order to hear their own side of the story.
