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Govt committed to finding lasting solution to Bille gas seepage – Minister – EnviroNews
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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, says the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the gas seepage in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Ekpo gave the assurance at a stakeholders’ meeting, involving representatives of the Federal Government, Rivers Government, regulatory agencies, industry operators and leaders of the affected community, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Port Harcourt.
He said that the Federal Government immediately deployed experts to investigate the incident after it was reported.
He, however, regretted that the absence of oil and gas infrastructure around the affected area made investigations more complex.
Ekpo explained that contrary to the perception in certain quarters, the Federal Government was not silent over the development, but working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
He said that at first, it was difficult to understand the cause of the problem since there were no oil or gas infrastructure within the vicinity of the incident, hence the need to conduct a more detailed investigation.
According to him, investigations are ongoing, while government is engaging the community to ensure collaboration towards identifying the root cause of the seepage and achieving a permanent solution to it.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We understand their anxiety and the danger the incident poses, but the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution,” the minister said.
He commended Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers for his support and efforts in addressing the challenge.
In a speech, Fubara acknowledged the determination of the Federal Government and it’s agencies to get to the root cause of the problem in Bille and ensure that it was resolved permanently.
He assured the community that there would be speedy resolution of the problem, saying the State Government had worked with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and industry operators to assess the situation in the community.
He also pledged to upgrade the Primary Healthcare Centre in Bille to strengthen healthcare services and address health challenges arising from the incident.
The governor expressed confidence that resolutions reached at the meeting would lead to further actions in the coming weeks to permanently address the problem.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, promised that the commission and industry operators would support the affected community.
Eyesan pledged that NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of Bille people, in terms of the provision of potable water and fire trucks.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, Chief Rena Dappa, outlined the challenges confronting the community, including skin irritation and rashes among women and children as well as air pollution, among others.
Dappa, therefore, appealed to government at all levels to urgently come to their rescue to protect lives and the livelihoods of the people of the community.
By Precious Akutamadu
