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Blame govs for failure to control black soot, Buhari’s aide absolves Nigerian govt

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Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Ita Enang, has shifted the responsibility for the control of the black soot that has been ravaging parts of the Niger Delta region, from the Federal Government to the state governments.

He did this saying since the states control lands in their localities, they should deal with the problems.

The former Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on National Assembly Matters, while appearing on Arise TV programme on Tuesday, said governors from the affected states should rise to the occasion and deal with the situation as it was not the purview of the Federal Government to do so.

Though he gave kudos to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on the way he has handled the soot menace in the state so far, Enang, however, blamed the governor over what he termed ‘re-polution’ as the illegal refiners would simply relocate to remote areas to carry out their activities.

“I will commend Rivers State Governor Wike on the way he has handled the soot crisis in the state so far,” Enang said while reacting to a question by one of the anchors of the programme.

“But what he has done is what I will call re-polution of the environment because the so called illegal refineries will simply move to other locations and the problem will continue.

“Those who are into these illegal refineries are not just mere illiterates or uneducated artisans you find on the streets.

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“Many of them are highly educated. These are people who are well trained in petroleum refining engineering and technology. They are well educated in petroleum technology and pipeline technology, so they would always put their knowledge to use.

“They are well knowledgeable and they are not being engaged. Like I said, Wike has only addressed the problems in Rivers and not in other places.

“Yes, Wike has taken a decision and other governors must take decisions on these illegal refineries.

“The problem is in Delta State, it is in Akwa Ibom State, it is in Bayelsa State. And the governors of these states are the ones who must tackle the problem and not the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration because the governors are in charge of lands in their states.

“The so called illegal refiners are not just ordinary criminals like I said. They are highly educated and sophisticated and must be engaged by the state governments to put their knowledge to good use.

“The govt of the respective states should create refinery parks for these people so they would not be forced to engage in the illegalities they are engaging in.

“These people are from the respective states and should be engaged by their state governors to put their knowledge to good use.

“We should stop calling them illegal refiners but engage them for greater use

“The NDDC should look for ways to engage them. The equipments they are using are fabricated by graduates of Petroleum Training Institute, Efurum and other top universities in the country.

“The various state governors must take responsibility of protecting their lands because they control the lands in their states and not the Federal government.

“We need to call everyone to the table to find a way to bring these illegal refiners on board to work with the government which will in turn, bring a out a good working harmony,” Enang said.

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