The Rivers State Government has yet to visit the family of Joy, a victim of the Bille gas explosion, days after her death, despite its earlier intervention when she was critically injured in the incident.
Social Action raised the concern after visiting Joy’s family in Kpor, Rivers State, saying there was no government representative or official condolence visit following her death.
The organisation noted that the same government had evacuated Joy to a medical facility after she was critically injured in the Bille gas explosion, but had not visited her grieving family since her death.
Social Action said Joy’s death must not be forgotten, adding that her family had given consent for the organisation to pursue legal action aimed at seeking accountability and addressing the continuing environmental and public health crisis in Bille.
Social Action also questioned why the source of the gas had not been fully established and why repeated warnings had not led to urgent action.
It called on the Rivers State and Federal Governments to visit Joy’s family, provide urgent psychosocial and medical support to her mother, investigate the circumstances surrounding the crisis and take immediate steps to protect residents of Bille.
The organisation also asked how many more people must suffer before the authorities act, stressing that Joy’s family deserved more than silence, while Bille deserved more than promises and Nigeria deserved accountability.
