Rivers Assembly condemns JTF burning of illegal refineries

Rivers state House of Assembly has lampooned the burning of Illegal refineries in the state by the military Joint Task Force (JTF) describing the act as “illegal.”

The chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Christian Ahiakwo, made the position of the House known during the committee’s oversight visit to the state command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Port Harcourt.

He said that the manner the JTF sought to destroy the illegal refineries contravened the environmental laws of the country, describing the burning of petroleum products as an illegality that cannot make another illegality right.
While noting that setting illegal refineries and their products on fire will further pollute the environment, Mr. Ahiakwo called for the adoption of environment-friendly methods of destroying illegal refineries.
He said: “The illegal refiners are doing things that are wrong in all ramifications. Members of the joint-task force saddled with the responsibility of stopping this activity is also doing things that are against the environmental laws of Nigeria.
“It is illegal to set on fire petroleum products. We are now confronted with two illegalities which of course cannot make a right.

In his remarks, the state commandant of the NSCDC, Muhammad Haruna assured that the command will collaborate with the State House of Assembly and other relevant agencies to check environmental pollution in the state, stressing that the activities of illegal refinery operators contributed largely to the environmental pollution in the state.