Black soot deposits polute Portharcourt atmosphere.

Rivers State Government on Friday said it had opened an investigation into the “sudden appearance” of black soot deposit on cars and rooftops in the state capital, Port Harcourt, and neighbouring towns.

A statement by the state Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya, urged the people of the state not to panic as the strange deposit was being investigated.

Full text reads: “It has come to the notice of the state government of the sudden appearance of strange black soot deposit noticeably seen on cars and rooftops in our environment especially in Port Harcourt and its environs. The public is hereby advised not to panic as the Ministry of Environment has duly dispatched its officials to different locations in the state to monitor and locate the source of the black soot for prompt action. It is apparently obvious that the state government cannot decontaminate the airspace but it can put a stop to this pollution if the source of the soot is located.

Consequently, the public is hereby urged to complement the effort of the state government by assisting to look for the source of this strange soot and report the location to the government through these dedicated telephone lines – 08033095142, 08036621345, 008037503473.”