By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa— Governor Timipre Sylva has blamed the activities of crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals for some of the environmental challenges facing the state.

The governor, who spoke at the maiden summit on the environment and launching of the fresh air initiative/climate change policy also lamented the pollution of the rivers caused by the activities of the oil companies in the Niger Delta communities.

Calling for proactive measures to curb the menace and remediation of the environment the governor said the Bayelsa environmental challenges is enormous as it is seventy percent water and thirty percent dry land.

He noted with sadness that wide animals like monkeys are fast disappearing from the forest, stresing that the biodiversity is fast being eroded due to climatic change.

“Whenever I fly on helicopters, I look forward to see monkeys or whenever I enter boat to my village but I don’t see monkeys any more, they have all disappeared due to environmental changes in the Niger Delta,” he said.

The governor called for proactive measure to protect the environment and the coastal communities before they disappeared.

Speaking at the event, the Manager Community Relations Affairs, Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC Mr. Evans Krukrubo said the greatest challenges confronting the company was that of third party interference.

He blamed the reduction in oil and gas production in the region to sabotage by miscreants vandalising its pipelines.

According to Krukrubo, said seventy per cent of spillage in Niger Delta is caused by thirty party and oil thieves.

In his remarks, renowned environmentalist,  Dr. Woyinkuro Adaga warned that with the constant rise in the global sea level Bayelsa State with the longest coastline among the littoral states in Nigeria stand the risk of being lost to the surging sea.

Dr. Adaga who is also Head of Environment, Ministry of Environment, said communities such as Akassa, Sangana, Agge and Brass which occupied the lowest latitude are most vulnerable to the ocean threat.

He said:   “at a length of 203km, Bayelsa State has the longest coastline among all the littoral states in Nigeria and is vulnerable to hazards associated with sea level rise such as waves and ocean currents, tidal activity and storm surges.”

Lamenting the constant rise in the sea level he noted with sadness that the state with thirteen opening to the Atlantic ocean, the highest in the fragile Niger Delta, “anytime the ocean goes wild communities such as Akassa, Sangana, Agge and Brass would be the first to go under the sea.”

The environmentalist said already these communities have lost a greater percentage of their landmass to the surging sea.

Enumerating some of the environmental issues affecting the state to include gas flaring, oil pollution and the resultant problems of ecosystem destabilization, heat stress and their effects on fresh water and aquatic lives he lamented what he described as the lack of proper compliance with environmental laws and urban planning, uncontrolled logging aggravated by lack of re-planting among others.

According to him, the state has experienced more oil spills than any other state in the Niger Delta making it’s environment the most devastated in the region.

This development and the global sea threat  he noted informed the launching of the Bayelsa State Fresh Air Initiative/ Climate Change Policy aimed at preserving the environment.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Environment, Hon Robert Enogha reinforced the fear of the environmentalist saying, “Bayelsa is one of the most environmentally damaged and ecologically abused states as result of crude oil exploration and exploitation by oil prospecting companies.

”The high incidence of oil spillage, water hyacinth and domestic wastes along our waterways has continued to be a source of worry to the government and the people.”

He, however, assured that the government would continue to work within available resources to safeguard the environment which the very existence of the people depend on.