Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has berated three of his commissioners for failing to protect the environment and people of the state.
The governor said, "I cannot sit here as a governor and fold my arms and allow the health of Benue people whom I am governing to be in danger in the name of operating an ethanol plant."
Ortom who was visibly angry during a meeting in government house, Makurdi following the alarm raised by the Benue Hike Tourism and Conservation Foundation over the emptying of wastes into River Benue by Pure Biotech Company Limited which has contaminated the water, faulted the commissioners for failing to effectively oversight the plant.
The affected commissioners are: Water Resources and Environment, Godwin Oyiwona, Industries and Cooperatives Jude Uungwa and that of Agriculture and Natural Resources Kester Kyenge.
Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment who is the leader of the investigative committee set up to investigate the pollution disclosed that the ethanol waste deposited in the River Benue which is as high as 150° centigrade is capable of producing cancer cells, damaging to human and aquatic lives.
He said the company has deviated from the things contained in the environmental impact assessment report it brought to them.
"I expected the Ministries responsible for ensuring due diligence in this are to have taken appropriate steps to ensure that the Company complied adequately with the lay down Rules and procedures of establishing such a plant however all of them have failed in there duties, I can't be everywhere as a governor, I was shock when I saw this video of waste draining directly into the river which is our only source of water here.
"Even at that, I expected the owners of the plant to have known all this and take into cognisance, because I have visited so many countries and factories but have never seen where waste are being channel directly into the river, this is ridiculous, even in the State here waste of any kind is being processed before disposal and for a company that is making money, I am surprise that they have choose to go this way," Oyiwona said.
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Mr Ortom also used the opportunity to charge all appointees of government agencies to use their appointment to serve the people and deliver on whatever purpose they were chosen to servie.
Debunking insinuations on social media that he was the owner of the company, the governor said, "I owe no share in that company and I want to assure the people of the state that now that this has come to my knowledge stiff punishment will be awarded to the company to serve as deterrent."
The governor also commended Benue Hike Tourism and Conservation Foundation for raising the alarm even as he urged them to beam the search light on Security, governance and other sectors to help the government take appropriate steps.
