By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Tribune OnlineTribune OnlineTribune Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Columns
  • Editorial
  • VIDEOS
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Opinions
  • SPORTING TRIBUNE
Reading: The Port Harcourt soot scourge
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Tribune OnlineTribune Online
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • News
  • Columns
  • Editorial
  • VIDEOS
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Opinions
  • SPORTING TRIBUNE
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Advertise
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2025 African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc.. All Rights Reserved.
Editorial

The Port Harcourt soot scourge

Tribune Editorial Board
January 13, 2022
Share
South Sudan’s Bright Stars in Libya, police extortion from citizen travelling out, The arrest of Apetu of Ipetumodu The hike in telecom The renewed onslaught of terrorists incineration of 74-yr-old wheelchair user, exodus of health workers, The Lagos under-bridge tenants, governors Rape kidnapping naira Morocco Naval Christmas NIN money naira school almajiri Azatyom trains stepfather father tenant CJN hostages NAMDA AK-47 NOI The killer floods,oil theft Elizabeth NAICOM building controversy,SMEs doctors UAE Naira’s frightening fall, The coming of NNPCL, Buhari’s Daura lamentation, police water Bill elite Supreme Court Uche Still on the trail of blood, education victims AGF’s arrest by EFCC, Deborah Emefiele Political parties president Senate’s criminalisation of ransom payment, Osinachi FG’s raid Buhari The soaring cost of living, Fabio the Grandmaster, The evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine, FG economy and IMF’s counsel, Obinna Reps’ probe of BVN-less accounts, Prostitution FG’s launch of 5G technology, Aisha Umar rice Olalere The Port Harcourt soot scourge, The loss of 14773 Nigerians in three years, police Occupy tutu Njoya Ikoyi police health sector ID cards malaria babalola trainees Odili The coup in Sudan, housing Madrassa Mailafia Lawan’s charge Benue traditional rulers’ SOS, Borrowing: NASS’ unconscionable approvals, Child Rights Act Defence Minister on the nuisance of bandits, gas Uwaifo Tokyo 2020 fg widows LAWMA flood foreigners nin This outrageous PIB arms yoruba Igboho Buhari its endless borrowings, Constitution review as jamboree , Ogun Buhari Democracy nass schoolchildren Customs’ Iseyin killings, embassies A positive moment, The Lebanese sexual exploiter, nigerians Aso Villa Abuja Ortom shisha arms Obaseki A season of strikes Resident doctors, Customs’ raid NAF EFCC state fire debt open grazing proposal Northern MDAs akure Emmanuel Akuma covid-19 ACF molestation convoys Nigerian graduates, #Bring Back Our Boys Burying soldier Boko Haram’s Borno, IGP yellow fever post-EndSARS rice police Buratai’s reaction, Government collapse of public waterworks, aid workers, Kwara hijab controversy, v
SHARE

T HESE are not the best of times for residents of Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s fifth largest city after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Kaduna. Port Harcourt has a lot of oil and the Federal Government is exploring it, but so are violent non-state actors and economic desperadoes eager to line their pockets at the expense of human lives. And so the city’s residents are contending with a deadly foe: black soot.  For over two years, it has been difficult to breathe clean air in the city. White handkerchiefs turn black very quickly and homes are full of soot even when doors and windows are shut. The product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, soot is the common name for a type of particle pollution called PM 2.5. It has the ability to penetrate the lungs and bloodstream easily and is in fact listed by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the deadliest forms of air pollution.

Since November 2016 when residents of Port Harcourt suddenly discovered black soot covering everything from cars to houses, plants and clothes, it has been tales of woe. The soot is everywhere and there is death in the air: breathing, wiping one’s face with a handkerchief and even cooking are now risky endeavours. The last two years have been hellish for residents because the soot has refused to go away and is dispensing disease and death at will. And the situation is getting worse simply because the authorities have been unable to stop the illegal refiners of oil in their tracks. Unscrupulous security agencies reportedly aid the navigation of trucks laden with adulterated products. And a host of factors are compounding the scourge: the military, ignoring the cost to the environment, constantly sets illegally refined petroleum products ablaze, residents burn refuse and roast meat with tyres, and gas flaring is continuing at an alarming rate, putting residents of the metropolis at risk of various types of cancers. Port Harcourt, rated in 2018 as the worst polluted city in the world with an air index of 188, runs the risk of becoming Nigeria’s capital  of adverse respiratory, skin and reproductive conditions, chronic respiratory diseases, heart problems and cancer.

According to media reports, at the onset of the scourge, the state government set up a committee to investigate the situation. It subsequently shut down some companies identified as sources of soot, including power plants in Ikwere and Obio/Akpor areas of the state. In addition, it commenced the seizure of tyres. But these efforts failed to yield the expected results. As a matter of fact, the report of  the technical team it set up in 2019 indicated that about 22,077 persons had suffered from respiratory-related ailments in the last five years. The report linked the soot scourge to illegal bunkering and gas flaring. To protect themselves, politicians in the state are reportedly using M95, a nose mask that filters the air and has a lifespan of 30 days. The majority of residents who cannot afford it are left in the lurch. Many of such residents have fled the city in droves.

Worried by the scourge, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, declared 19 persons wanted this week for allegedly operating illegal crude oil refining sites in the state. He also directed the state Head of Service to query a director in the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Temple Amakiri, and hand him over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution for allegedly abetting bunkering activities. According to the governor, his administration had resolved to close down all identified illegal crude oil refining sites in the state. These actions are in order. It is galling that even with the existence of state and federal ministries of environment and agencies such as the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESRA), Port Harcourt residents are dying slowly, and with no one to help them out. Working with the Federal Government, the Rivers State government must mobilise technical expertise and tackle the scourge head-on. It must battle the outlaws behind the scourge to a standstill.  Had its previous actions been enough, the problem would not have persisted for this long. The government must mobilise the people of the state and root out the perpetrators of environmental pollution in Port Harcourt.

On its part, the  Federal Government must shelve its rather diffident approach to the situation. According to the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, “We are looking at a solution: creating modular refineries. We are looking at different options. I cannot tell you one particular thing that can stop this but we are looking at it critically.” The government should stop looking. It should act fast and save lives. It is certainly tragic that in spite of previous promises, gas flaring has persisted in the country, and accounts in large part for the situation in Port Harcourt. When will the government put an end to gas flaring, thereby saving lives and conserving gas for domestic use? It is time the Rivers State government and the Federal Government worked together and rescued Port Harcourt from pollution and degradation. It must ensure that the military stops the practice of burning down illegal refineries, and that the security agents aiding and abetting bunkering activities are brought to book. Port Harcourt residents deserve clean air.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state.


WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV

  • Back to School, Back to Business A Fresh Start

  • Relationship Hangout: Public vs Private Proposals – Which Truly Wins in Love?

  • “No” Is a Complete Sentence: Why You Should Stop Feeling Guilty

  • Relationship Hangout: Friendship Talk 2025 – How to Be a Good Friend & Big Questions on Friendship

  • Police Overpower Armed Robbers in Ibadan After Fierce Struggle


    Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more.
    Join our WhatsApp Channel now


Share This Article
Facebook Email Print
Previous Article lopsided appointments in NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, AIB, NiMET, airlines, Key players doubt April takeoff date for new national carrier Key players doubt April takeoff date for new national carrier
Next Article shutdown Runway 18L/36R for airfield , evacuate abandoned aircraft, staff arrested for touting, FAAN, airport, eid-el-kabir, sallah, COVID-19, pensioners salary, airports protocol, faan mashallers, FAAN set to procure more fire tenders NAHCO calls for identity of staff arrested for touting by FAAN

Frontpage Today

Subscribe to e-Paper

E-Vending, e paper, pdf, e-paper, Tribune
WOMEN

Xquisite
Xquisite Food
Xquisite Style
Wondrous World of Women

MORE

Business Coach
Education
Event Digest
Crime & Court
Do It Yourself
Ecoscope
Property & Environment
Energy
Maritime
Aviation
Brands & Marketing
Agriculture
Info Tech
Labour
Leadership & Management
Achievers
Arewa Live
Arts & Culture
Arts & Reviews
Campus Beat
Politics
Health News
MORE

Mum & Child
Natural Health
Sexuality & Health
Special Report
Sports
Tourism
Travelpulse & MICE
Tribune Business
Weekend Lagos
Youth Speak
Book Review
Thursday Tales
EDITORIAL

Editorial
Opinion
Letters
News Extra

BUSINESS

Capital Market
Money Market
Economy

ENTERTAINMENT

Friday Treat
Entertainment
Razzmattaz

REGIONS

South West
Niger Delta
Arewa

RELIGION

Tribune Church
Church News
Muslim Sermon
Eye of Islam
Islamic News

COLUMNS

Anike's Diary
Aplomb
Ask The Doctor
Autoclinic With The Mechanic
Awo's Thought
Borderless
Crucial Moment
Empowered For Life
Festus Adebayo's Flickers
Financewise
Gibbers
Intimacy
Language & Style
Leaders' Forum
Leadership & Management
Lynx Eye
Monday Lines
Mum & Child
Natural Health
Notes from Atlanta with Farooq Kperogi
On The Lord's Day
PENtagon
Political Panorama
Veritatem With Obadiah Mailafia
Voice of Courage
Whatsapp Conversation
You and Eye
Your Life Counts

© 2025 African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?