Stakeholders in Rivers State have blamed the black soot occurrence and air pollution in the state on Federal Government’s failure to adequately provide petroleum products in the country.
The stakeholders, comprising academics, environmentalists, traditional rulers, civil society organisations (CSOs), oil and gas regulatory agencies and security personnel, among others, argued that the gap created room for patronage of illegal petroleum products, which is the major cause of the soot menace in the state.
They noted that while people in the rural areas demand for bulk kerosene, urban dwellers demand diesel, lamenting that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was not providing sufficient products for consumers, thereby creating a thriving market for artisanal refiners.
These submissions were made in Port Harcourt yesterday at a workshop on Mitigating Particulate Matter Emissions-Soot Pollution Associated With Oil And Gas In Port Harcourt, organised by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
Source: The Guardian