The Paramount Ruler of Ikot Abasi local government area of Akwa Ibom state, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Udo Joe Ntuk Obom, has called on the state and federal government to intervene on the spate of environmental pollutants emitted by oil companies.
Edidem Obom made the call in his palace shortly after the inauguration of the Executive members of AKIPCON, Ikot Abasi chapter on Tuesday.
He said that the continuous gas flaring and washing off of crude tanks into the water bodies which are then distributed to order adjoin rivers is against the global best practices.
The Royal Father lamented that his subjects have been deprived by oil giants who continue their exploration without paying adequate compensation to the people.
He said most of the aquatic lives and animals have gone into extinct, adding that farmlands were laid fallow and most households in his domain could not afford a square meal per day due to impoverishment occasioned by oil companies.
Obom appealed to government to order oil companies to end gas flaring and pay adequate compensation to the people as its obtained in other countries of the world.
He said the Council has unanimously thrown its weight behind AKIPCON who struggling for the liberation and payment of all outstanding compensation to the communities.
“ExxonMobil and Shell are paying deaf ears to us, but obviously their own government have seen that they are wrong with their actions.
“They have deprived us of all things. Our farmlands and aquatic lives have been destroyed and many animals have gone into extinct out of abundance of pollution”, he added.
