The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has distributed humanitarian relief materials to residents of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, following persistent gas seepage and methane emissions that have contaminated underground water sources, rivers and local wells. The intervention was initiated by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Usoro Akpabio, aimed at cushioning the hardship faced by residents whose livelihoods and daily activities have been disrupted by the environmental crisis.
The commission's Executive Director, Social Services and Human Capital Development, Preye Aganaba, led the delegation to the affected community. Akpabio said the commission would not abandon the residents, assuring them that their recovery remained a priority. She described Bille as an important economic hub in Rivers State and the South-South region, warning that the gas seepage had disrupted businesses, threatened food security, displaced families and deprived residents of their livelihoods. She disclosed that the commission provided 86 categories of food and non-food items, including rice, beans, garri, noodles, vegetable oil, mattresses, mosquito nets, buckets, sanitary pads and baby diapers.
According to her, the intervention was in fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu's directive to the commission to support vulnerable communities and accelerate development across the six South-South states. "The plight of the people of Bille is of great concern to the Commission. Their recovery remains a priority, and we want to assure them that they will not be overlooked in our developmental agenda," she said. Akpabio added that the intervention was designed to complement the efforts of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Speaking on behalf of the Bille Council of Chiefs, its Chairman, Bennett Okpoke, appreciated the commission's response but called on the Federal and Rivers State Governments to urgently address the root cause of the crisis. He said residents had endured prolonged gas and methane seepage, with devastating consequences for their water sources, health and economic activities.
Also speaking, NEMA's Head for Bayelsa and Rivers States, Chidi Ogundu, said the agency had conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment to establish the extent of the damage, with findings indicating significant adverse effects. He disclosed that NEMA's technical team had commenced efforts to address potable water challenges in the community to prevent further exposure to health hazards. The relief materials were formally handed over to the community through NEMA and received by representatives of the Council of Chiefs of King Igbikingeri Ngowari Cornelius Herbert, Agbaniye-Jike XVIII.