The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the audit of security agencies in Rivers State, in order to fish out those behind the Soot problem in the State.
They also raised alarm over the impending environmental danger caused by theft of crude oil in parts of the State.
This is as it directed the Navy, Police, Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Army to conduct a holistic investigation into the involvement of its men in illegal oil refining in River State.
The call followed a motion sponsored by Senator Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East) on the dangerous dimension that incomplete crude refining has taken in the South-South State.
According to Senator Sekibo, the situation which is caused by the activities of multinational companies operating in the area causes drops of strange soot substances on residents who dares to stay outdoor.
“It has become more worrisome that they are seen on bedspreads in bedrooms, worktops in kitchens, chairs and other materials in houses, meaning that they are entering every available crevice into inner spaces of buildings as the wind carries them,” he added.
Insisting that the land, air and water has been polluted, the lawmaker lamented that for over 60 years, “an environmental audit due to the degradation of the environment has never been carried out since the commencement of the exploration and exploitation activities in the area.”
The motion also attributed recent deaths in the area to the situation, lamenting that if not curbed, the sooty particulates could spread to other neighbouring states and the entire country.
