Warri based environmentalist, Dr. Ben Irikefe, has applauded the State Government's plan to set up modular refineries through its agency; DESOPADEC.

Dr. Irikefe gave the commendation in a paper he delivered at the second Delta State Oil Producing Areas Youths Summit at the Assembly Hall of Government College Bomadi.

He warned against the setting up of illegal refineries in some oil producing communities in the Niger Delta saying that refining of crude oil by untrained hands is hazardous "as there are no mutative measure in place to contain it's potential environmental and health hazards".

Dr. Irikefe warned indigenes of oil producing communities not to be blinded by the short term gains obtained from the illegal refineries, adding that even through it might profit them monetary, their establishment still remains a high crime under Nigeria law.

The environmentalist who commended the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) for the destruction of the illegal refineries however noted that establishment of modular refineries by DESOPADEC was justifiable as according to him the modular refineries would fill the vacuum created by the demolished illegal refineries.

The erudite environmental scholar again described the agitation for the setting up of modular refineries as an expression for the actualization of resources control and political self determination. Dr. Ben Irikefe however warned that "the establishments of modular refineries are not totally rosy affair; it goes with a lot of potential problems and hazards.

He advised that for the establishment of modular refineries to be successful in Delta State, proper expertise should be sought before they are set up.

The theme of the summit which is" Empowering Youths Mobilization for Sustainable Development: the DESOPADEC alternative" also featured another erudite scholar, Comrade Sunday Doutimiariye Abraye, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University , Bayelsa State, who spoke on the topic : Modular Refinaries: Strategic Instruments for Constructive Youth Empowerment and Engagement