Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Following a reported contamination of ground water by hydrocarbons in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State, the government has set up an emergency management team to tackle the situation.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made this known in a chat with journalists at Government House, saying that the team would work to protect people from the hazardous effects of drinking the contaminated water.

He said that the water contamination was recorded at Oba community of Ohanso, Ukwa East “where it has been established that water samples taken from the community have been contaminated by hydrocarbons”.

Ukwa East is an oil producing area though its oil wells are presently capped unlike Ukwa West where oil and gas are being produced thereby making Abia to be among the oil-producing states.

Kanu stated that the emergency team led by the Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Professor Joel Ogbonna, “would ensure that necessary remedial actions are taken to provide potable drinking water” for the affected communities.

In addition, he said that the state Ministry of Health would “investigate the extent of danger posed to the health of the indigenes of the community that make use of the contaminated water.

Kanu explained that the Health Ministry investigation would determine the extent the people of Oba Ohanso community “may have been adversely affected by the hydrocarbons that have been ingested through the water they drink”.

He said that government would eventually build a water treatment plant in the community to purify their water, noting that hydrocarbons pose health hazards to humans when ingested.

“This remedial and immediate action by the state government underscores the compassionate governance style and philosophy of the state government, to provide immediate solutions to communities that are under danger in any way or form,” Kanu said.

The Petroleum Commissioner, while shedding more light on the water contamination, said that the alarm bell was set off when a man discovered that oil was floating on water from the borehole in his compound.

Meanwhile, Abia Government has taken a firm step to end the pension crisis bequeathed by the past administration and avert a reoccurrence of the past woes of unpaid pensions and gratuities.

The present administration of Governor Alex Otti had inherited a heavy burden of unpaid pensions and gratuities left by his predecessors. Arrears of pension stood at 48 months in some parastatals while unpaid gratuities accumulated for up to 22 years.

But Kanu said that “the state government is set to formally launch its workers’ contributory pension scheme” in order to create a seamless administration of retirees’ benefits.

He said that it was among the decisions taken at this week’s meeting of the State Executive Council, adding that it was a further demonstration of the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of Abia workers.

Kanu said that 10 pension fund administrators(PFAs) have already been selected and approved to operate the scheme, adding that the contributory pension scheme was in tandem with the ongoing reforms in the public service.

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