Speaking during the tour and subsequent town hall meeting titled People’s Assembly Parliament, the Executive Director of Social Action, Isaac Osuoka, accused the federal government and its regulatory agencies of allegedly abandoning the community despite the severity of the situation.

He stated that all groundwater in Bille has been “totally and completely polluted,” destroying fish, aquatic life, and the traditional livelihoods of residents. “We are here today because of the failure of the Nigerian state. This hydrocarbon eruption started in 2025. For over six months now, the people of Bille have been going through this, and the Nigerian state has failed to respond,” he said.

Osuoka faulted President Bola Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum, for allegedly failing to protect the Niger Delta. According to him, “President Tinubu appointed himself Petroleum Minister with the responsibility to protect the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians, including the lands. But Bille Kingdom is not protected.

“NOSDRA came here to do tests. They did air tests, water tests, soil tests, and they have lied that the air quality in Bille is safe.”

Osuoka also criticised the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for alleged inactiveness to the situation, adding: “Up till now, NUPRC has not done anything. They have done nothing to respond to the emergency in Bille. There is a health crisis in Bille. People are at risk of death. This community can burn down any day, but NUPRC has not responded.”

He added that the Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water Resources, and emergency agencies “have done nothing in Bille,” describing the situation as an outrage. While commending River State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for donating N100 million through his representative for a medical outreach, Osuoka said the intervention was, however, inadequate.

“I commend Governor Fubara for his intervention, but he has not demonstrated adequate responsibility over the matters of Bille and the Niger Delta. This community, the people of Bille, are citizens of Rivers State; they are citizens of Nigeria; they are sick, and there is an emergency here that deserves more than just that response.”

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Chairman, Eastern Zone, Datolu Sukubo, said the Federal Government has failed to intervene in the Bille gas leaks since October last year and accused NNPCL and oil companies of avoiding responsibility.

He threatened that “If the government doesn’t declare a state of emergency on this Bille situation, they should prepare to bring all their armies to come and shoot us at the platforms.”

Also speaking, a prominent Niger Delta environmental activist, Ms. Annkio Briggs, said the scale of the crisis had gone beyond temporary interventions and required decisive action from the federal government.

The paramount ruler of Bille Kingdom, His Majesty Igbikingeri Herbert, who spoke through Chief Napoleon Hezekiah, Secretary, Land Health and Environment Committee, Bille Council of Chiefs, expressed sadness that “the environment is highly polluted, the air quality is bad, the water quality is bad, and all parameters are above permissible level.”

He called on the federal government to act now and not sleep on the situation in Bille Kingdom.

Meanwhile, in commemoration of the Day of the African Child 2026, the Executive Director of the Centre for Gender Equity and Sustainable Development, Chief Constance Meju, regretted that the oil spills and pollution have destroyed creeks and shallow wells that children depend on, saying that many still drink water that causes diarrhea, skin rashes, and long-term health damage.

Meju, who is also a Port Harcourt-based media guru, stressed that “every community must have access to clean water. When children have water, they have health. When they have health, they have a future.”

She added: “Right now, fire is burning in Billie in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State where gas is bubbling underneath the ground, forcing contaminated water to be thrown up, eliciting fear and panic among the people.”

However, the ministry confirmed that the Value Added Tax (VAT) waiver on petrol remains active to shield Nigerian households and businesses from global energy market disruptions.

Duke said implementing a fuel surcharge would require a specific ministerial order and a formal publication in the Official Gazette, neither of which is currently being considered. The ministry also noted that previous telecommunications excise duties introduced before 2023 have been officially repealed under newer tax laws.

“With respect to petroleum products, the Value Added Tax (VAT) waiver currently applicable to fuel remains in place and has not been withdrawn,” Duke explained.

“The suspended taxes have helped to moderate domestic fuel prices below international averages and neighbouring countries serving as a cushion on the impact of global energy market disruption on Nigerian households and businesses. The Federal Government also wishes to clarify that the telecommunications excise duty introduced prior to 2023 has been repealed under the new tax laws and is therefore no longer applicable.”

The ministry urged stakeholders, businesses, and the public to disregard the inaccurate reports, reiterating the government’s commitment to maintaining a transparent, growth-oriented tax system. Duke concluded by assuring the public that any genuine updates to tax policy would be communicated directly through official channels and handled strictly according to due process.

“My Lords, we are aware of an order that this court made on May 22, which stopped the delivery of the judgment of the lower court, which was initially reserved for delivery on June 5. We were not aware of any notice from the court regarding the delivery of the judgment. We only saw it as breaking news in the media. We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment.”

Counsel to the parties argued that the Federal High Court acted in disregard of the judicial hierarchy, warning that the judgment could disrupt by-elections scheduled to hold in six states on June 20.

They urged the Court of Appeal to exercise its supervisory powers and immediately suspend the enforcement of the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.

“Sincerely, my Lords, a lot has happened to the judiciary and this profession. What the trial judge did was dare this Court of Appeal by insisting that no one could arrest his judgment, even after his attention was drawn to the stay order from this court.

“The action of the trial judge calls for swift and extraordinary measures from this court. We have come to the stage where this court should press the reset button.

“We are calling on this court to exercise disciplinary jurisdiction under Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. We urge this court to take disciplinary steps by immediately suspending that judgment.

“This court has the power to protect its own integrity. We pray this court suspends the judgment immediately without further delay.”

The suit that led to the deregistration order was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the five parties failed to satisfy the requirements of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.

According to the group, political parties must win at least one elective seat or secure a minimum of 25 per cent of votes in at least one state in a presidential election to retain registration.