Bayelsans yet to get returns on oil discovery – Gov Diri

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has said residents of the state are yet to get the benefits of the discovery of oil after over 60 years.

He also raised the alarm over the prevalence of cancer and other “strange” diseases being suffered by the people because of the activities of the oil companies across the state.

Addressing State House reporters after leading a delegation of Bayelsa State and Ijaw leaders to a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the governor recalled that oil was first discovered in Bayelsa State at Oloibiri in commercial quantities, making Nigeria internationally recognised as an oil-producing state.

He said, “We have not actually gotten the returns of that asset on our land, to the way that we would have expected,” adding that that was the reason why he presented the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission Report to Mr President.

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Governor Diri said the report had brought to the fore what Bayelsa people had been crying for over the years on “what oil exploration and exploitation has visited on the state.”

The governor, who spoke about the clean-up of Ogoni land, stressed that, “What is more important is the issue of our environment and in that recommendation, is talking about the clean-up, you know about the Ogoni situation, and HYPREP, and our environment is totally gone.

“If you go into the rivers and the rooflets of Bayelsa State, you will be perceiving oil, economic activities of our people have been grounded, and up until today, you still have oil pollution all over the state.

“So, the number one thing is, first of all, restore the environment, clean up the environment, and of course, you have to pay reparations, and those who have caused this damage, most times they say, Oh, it is as a result of sabotage.

“But International law doesn’t recognise sabotage. You own those facilities and equipment, whether the oil spillages were as a result of sabotage or ageing equipment, which is most times the case, equipment failures, reparations have to be paid.

“As I speak with you today, issues about cancer are now almost like a normal thing in Bayelsa State, and this report has traced it to the activities of the oil companies, oil exploration and all other types of very bizarre types of sicknesses that were not hitherto known to the people of Bayelsa.”