FROM CLARICE AZUATALAM, PORT HARCOURT.
A Royal Father in Rivers State, King Felix Otuwarikpo, has decried the
environmental devastation in the Niger Delta communities, heeping the blame on decades of neglect, illegal oil activities and the activities of influential sponsors of pipeline vandalism for the hardship the people are facing.
Speaking in Port Harcourt at the opening ceremony of the Correspondents’ Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. Rivers State Council themed, “The Imperatives of Comprehensive Cleanup of the Niger Delta Environment: Role of the Media”, Otuwarikpo lamented the impact of environmental degradation on communities in the region.
He also said that many affected communities can no longer engage meaningfully in farming and fishing due to pollution and destruction of the ecosystem.
The royal father also observed that the environmental crisis in rural communities has not received adequate media attention because the worst impacts are felt outside elite urban areas.
He said: “Most of the consequences we suffer at the community level do not happen in the Government Reservation Areas. If these environmental problems were happening in the GRAs, they would probably receive greater attention.”
He, in addition disclosed that fishing activities in many riverine communities have declined drastically, forcing residents to depend on frozen fish instead of fresh catches from local waters.
“Our fishermen are no longer fishing the way they used to. For many years now, my people have started buying frozen fish to eat, which is abnormal,” he said adding that crop yields have reduced significantly because polluted soil no longer supports healthy agricultural production.
Continuing, Otuwarikpo challenged the narrative that poverty and illiteracy alone are responsible for pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta, reiterating that influential individuals sponsor many illegal oil bunkering activities.
He stated that many of the operations involved in pipeline vandalism require significant financial backing beyond the capacity of ordinary youths.
He alleged that “there are certain persons sponsoring these young people to carry out pipeline vandalism.”
The monarch recalled his efforts in combating illegal bunkering activities in his Upata Kingdom in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State during which he led direct actions against operators involved in crude oil theft and illegal refining activities within his domain.
He further revealed that several vehicles, including SUVs and tankers used in transporting illegal petroleum products, were destroyed during anti-bunkering operations carried out under his leadership.
He disclosed that :”Several petitions were written against me to the police and military authorities, but I was installed to protect Upata Kingdom and I stood firmly in defense of my people and environment.”
Otuwarikpo who was a one-time Chairman of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Plateau State Chapter, called on journalists to rise to their responsibility of holding leaders accountable and speaking boldly against societal ills, particularly as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
He declared, “If journalism fails, this country has failed. Journalists must not just watch and sleep. The watchdog of society must be ready to bark and bite when necessary.”
He further urged media practitioners to consistently report environmental issues and governance failures affecting the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
He also criticized the culture of silence often imposed on traditional rulers, insisting that kings and community leaders must continue to speak truth to power in the interest of their people.
“As traditional rulers, we are sometimes told to remain silent, but if I sit quietly on the throne while society decays, then my education and exposure amount to nothing,” he said.
He also used the opportunity to highlight several empowerment initiatives