HON. BELLO URGES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, SAYS BRASS IS BEING WASHED OFF

The Chairman of Brass Local Government Council, Hon. Bello Bina, has urged the Federal Government to tackle the issue of environmental degradation headlong, stating that the people in the area are suffering.Hon, Bello Bina, who made the call on Friday during the visit of the Minister of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed to Twon-Brass as part of her assessment tour of oil bearing areas in the Niger Delta.‎

Hon. Bina decried the noticeable lack of attention the Federal Government is giving to the oil-rich communities of the region, particularly Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, despite of the enormous oil wealth contributed for the socio-economic survival of the Nation.‎

According to him, “Environmental degradation is the least problem we are facing here in Brass LGA and the Niger delta in general. What you came here to see in Agip Oil Company is one out of the many problems facing the oil bearing communities in the State. We are suffering in the Niger Delta.”‎

“You’re supposed to come to Brass by boat and see how our people are suffering,as the minister for environment, not by helicopter. Am pleading, as you are going, please go by boat from here to Yenagoa, and take a vehicle from there to the airport, then you will see what am talking about, the people of the Niger delta are really suffering.”

Bello further said the continuous erosion of Twon-Brass community made the Council to embark on the shore protection project even as it falls under the exclusive list.
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“We are doing the job of the federal Government because we can’t let our people die. This Palace you are seating on was like a kilometer out as you can see, the erosion is taking over this palace every day, and if care is not taken, in your next visit to Brass, you may not see this palace again.”

Bello also lambasted the minister for coming to Brass on such an important inspection tour without informing the Governor of the state or even him that is the Chief Security Officer of the LGA.

“Honorable minister, culture and tradition demands that dignitary like the honorable minister of environment is Visiting Brass LGA in Bayelsa State and the Governor of the state is not informed, myself who’s the Chief Security Officer of this LGA you are visiting too was not informed. Am in Brass here as the Chairman of this LGA for the people to feel the presence of Governance in the area but I was not informed that the Honorable minister was coming to Brass”.

“When is time to develop the Niger Delta Region, you have all the grammars to Speak that the place is a difficult terrain for development but when is time to take the Crude oil and the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), our place and the Niger delta region is no longer difficult anymore”. He lamented‎

He however assured the minister of his preparedness to work with the Buhari-led federal government, with a view to quelling the effects of environmental degradation in the area.

In her remarks, the minister assured the people of Brass and indeed the Niger Delta region of the federal government’s readiness to curb the various environmental problems bedevilling them, maintaining that government will never play politics with any environmental issue.

Saint Mienpamo
Chief Press Secretary to the
Chairman of Brass LGA.

16/10/2016‎