Residents of Port Harcourt lament over high level of SOOT due to illegal oil bunkering

Nigerians based in Port Harcourt City are lamenting over the high presence of ‘Soot’ due to illegal oil bunkering. According to most residents in PHC, the high level of soot is so alarming that it gets everywhere, including their nostrils ‘dark.’

Taking to her Twitter page, a fitness instructor, Gbemmy G, showed her fans what soot had done to her Air conditioner filters. She wrote:  “Removed my AC filters. Look at the air we are breathing in Port Harcourt.”

Removed my AC filters…look at the air we are breathing in PortHarcourt pic.twitter.com/GDtGNxaaca

— Big Fish Gee 🦈 (@GbemmyG) January 10, 2021

People who live in Port Harcourt took to her comment section to complain about the high level of ‘Soot’ in the aforementioned city. According to most residents, the soot is so high that their floors, nostrils, environment are usually covered by dark soot. 

What’s soot? – “Fine black or dull brown particles of amorphous carbon and tar, produced by the incomplete combustion of coal, oil.”

Read complaints from Residents of Port Harcourt City:

@Fola: “Saw this under my foot after walking around mt hotel room in PH about 3 years ago. Many people’s lungs are lined with dark soot right now. Many will have major health issues in 15 years time. 

@Carly: “Several factors causing these the presence of black carbon in the air. Heavy vehicular movement. Burning of tyres and smoke from slaughter houses. Illegal refining of crude oil (theft). Burning of tug boats used for the transportation of stolen crude by security personnel.”

@Ifedayo: “Omo was telling my folks that in my 2 years in PH I never saw normal dust, everywhere soot. You mop floor, water iyaf turn black.”

@Chibuogwu: “It’s sad that the government is doing nothing whatsoever about it. PH AIT is contaminated. I clean out black stuff from my nostrils each day. My feet are black no matter how many times I mop the house. I dare not leave any white clothing piece outside because… This is bad. 

Other complaints from Residents of PH:

The floors
The leaves
The windows
The curtains
The ground you step on
The water
The sky

Everything is black in Port Harcourt and somehow nobody is talking about it.

I’m tired of this damned city.

— OHAMADIKE (@Obiora_ogb) January 10, 2021

It is sad that the government is doing nothing whatsoever about it.
PH AIT is contaminated. I clean out black stuff from my nostrils each day. My feet are black no matter how many times I mop the house. I dare not leave any white clothing piece outside because… This is badddd

— CHIBUOGWU (@TheChibuogwu) January 10, 2021

PH . I stayed there for some time and I could clean that color of dirt right under my nose almost everyday of outing

— GODSON (@Godsonxx_xx) January 10, 2021

Whenever we try spread our white NYSC cloth for line for Buguma, Asari-tori local government for Rivers state. Na soot go cover am following morning. 2017 was crazy there.

— Olúmídé. F (@Olu_mind) January 10, 2021

Covid 19 aside , normally nose mask 😷 should be a norm in Rivers State, port Harcourt precisely.

Indorama eleme yaf killed us all

— CHUKWUEMEKA SON OF JONATHAN🍭 (@IamCANDYBOY) January 10, 2021

I swear its crazy here in Port-Harcourt, no matter how you clean the floors, surfaces, windows, you will still get to see that rubbish soot. Honestly I’m tired of it, we protested some couple of years ago, and it reduced, but I think its fully back again… horrible horrible sh*t

— Oc (@monsieur_nuel) January 10, 2021

The illegal oil bunkering in PHC is alarming. I could remember going to work one fateful morning. The soot was so dense that visibility became a major issue for the driver.

Same day, unexpected rain fell and people beaten by the rain were like a fallen soldier in the mud.

— Catherine Nwachukwu (@CathyNwa) January 10, 2021

Soot enters the body through inhalation, ingestion or the skin and eyes. It can cause breathing issues, including asthma, bronchitis, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Once it enters your blood stream, it can cause respiratory issues, heart attack, cancer & premature death.

— ✨👑 DaddyMO👑✨✊🏾 (@therealdaddymo1) January 10, 2021