The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eastern Zone, has criticised the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, over what it described as an inadequate and insensitive response to the ongoing gas eruption in Bille Community. The group said the minister’s statement, issued through his spokesman, attempted to downplay the severity of the incident, which has seen continuous emission of highly flammable gas from the ground and surrounding river since November last year.

In a statement signed by its Eastern Zone Chairman, Amb. Prince Datolu Sukubo, the council described the Federal Government’s response as “unacceptable” and lacking urgency, noting that the situation poses grave risks to lives, public health, and the environment. The IYC argued that while agencies such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) reportedly carried out a Joint Inspection Visit, no tangible action has followed to mitigate the crisis.

The group further decried what it termed a “cosmetic approach” to the emergency, warning that continued gas pollution has contaminated drinking water, degraded air quality, and disrupted livelihoods in the affected community. It stressed that the inspection and sample collection carried out months ago have failed to address the looming threat of explosion or prevent worsening health conditions among residents exposed to hazardous emissions.

The IYC Eastern Zone therefore called on the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive action, including the provision of safe drinking water, medical support, and relief materials for affected residents. It insisted that the people of Bille are facing an existential threat and cannot afford further delay, urging authorities to move beyond rhetoric and implement concrete measures to contain the escalating situation.