The Eze Igbu Upata Kingdom in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, His Majesty King Felix Otuwarikpo, has said that poverty and illiteracy should not be blamed for pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
The monarch made the declaration on Sunday while declaring open the 2026 Correspondents’ Chapel Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, held at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt. The event had as its theme: “The Imperatives of Comprehensive Cleanup of the Niger Delta: Role of the Media.”
King Otuwarikpo alleged that influential Nigerians were behind most acts of pipeline vandalism, stressing that host communities were often wrongly accused whenever oil spills occurred in the region.
According to him, many pipeline spillages are caused by ageing and expired pipelines that have remained in use for decades, rather than deliberate sabotage by local communities.
He lamented the worsening environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, noting that affected communities continue to suffer while little attention is given to their plight. The traditional ruler also accused oil companies operating in the region of focusing mainly on oil exploration and extraction without adequately developing host communities.
Speaking on the role of the media, the monarch urged journalists to remain courageous and speak out against environmental pollution and injustice in society.
“If journalists fail the society, then the society is gone,” he said, calling on media practitioners to intensify advocacy for the protection and cleanup of the Niger Delta environment.
King Otuwarikpo, who noted that he has a media background, said traditional rulers have continued to advise government on the dangers of environmental pollution and the need for proactive measures to ensure a comprehensive cleanup of the Niger Delta.
He further criticized the law that holds host communities responsible for oil spillages occurring within their areas, describing it as an anomaly that unfairly targets innocent communities.
