Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Farah Dagogo, has called on the Federal Government to institute a probe into the circumstances surrounding death of fishes along the Niger Delta coastline.
Dagogo, in a statement by his media aide, Ibrahim Lawal, on Monday, said the incidence is inimical to socio-economic well-being of the people of the zone.
The lawmaker, who represents Degema/Bonny federal constituency, noted that his preliminary investigations indicate that the death of the fishes might not be unconnected to pollution allegedly caused by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
Therefore, Dagogo stated that it is imperative for the Federal Government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident, as well as ensure that anyone found culpable is sanctioned in accordance with extant laws.
According to him, “the death of the fishes in our coastal waterways is colossal and has severe implications on the socio-economic development of our people in particular and the states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Niger Delta in general.
“Their death may be as a consequence of pollution caused by the oil and gas companies operating in the region or other associated factors as noted by some environmentalists, or likely as a result of increasing toxicity of the Atlantic ocean, which the primary investigation I conducted indicate. And it can also be all of the aforementioned.
“I urge my constituents to be law abiding and continue to maintain the peace and order to allow for meaningfully engagements with the state institutions and the oil and gas companies, whose activities directly impact on the coastline.
“Consequently, I am closely monitoring the current actions being taken by the NOSDRA and urge the agency to be unwavering in its attempt to unravel the truth and present a result that would be accepted within the global community, as no cover up in whatever disguise would be tolerated.
“In the event that urgent actions are not taken to address this ugly imbroglio, I have been in serious discussions with my fellow members, from the Niger Delta region and other zones, on the best approach to apply through legislative means to ensure that our constituents get justice.”