By Obiabin Onukwugha
Almost on daily basis communities in Niger Delta region, South/South Nigeria are in the news, not because skyscrapers are built, not because there’s an innovative breakthrough or that good hospitals and schools are been built and commissioned, it’s either that there is an incident of oil spill or theft.
Saying that the natural resources in the Niger Delta is rather a curse than blessing will be revisiting an old obvious. Traveling the creeks and farmlands of Niger Delta host communities, one is always greeted with a tale of regret, sorrow, destruction, sites of neglect, pain and abandonment by those who should ordinarily be beacons of development for them.
A fortnight ago, a fire Incident occured on a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, operated by Britania U, at Ajakpa Field, (OML 90), 10.77 nautical miles South of Forcados Terminal, in Burutu local government area of Delta State, South/South Nigeria.
The spill resulted in a massive oil spill around the seashore and waterways of Odimodi and its Federated Communities.
NatureNews gathered that the spill occured on July 18 this year and has been left unattended to, thereby impacting the livelihoods of the host and neighbouring communities of the platform.
Though the company had in a statement by its Chairman/CEO, Uju Ifejika, on Friday July 19, stated that the spill has been put under control, information available proves otherwise, as reports have it that the fire has continued to rage unabated even as the spill spread to costal communities along the Forcados shoreline.
Communities affected by the spill, according to reports are; Odimodi, Okomu, Isiayegbene, Beniboye and Gbidipou, among others.
As usual, the people have started singing the old song of pleas for Joint Investigative Visit (JIV), and as well as clean up and remediation steps.
Regrettably, the pleas have fallen on deaf ears as is always the case. Lamenting the suffering of the communities, Chairman of Odimodi and its Federated Communities, Comrade New-World Endoro, at a press briefing, said during a visit, to the spill site by a team led by him, massive oil particles where seen in large quantities around the seashore.
While noting that the spill has spread to Isiayegbene, Beniboye, Odimodi and Gbidipou communities, Endoro warned that the people will not tolerate any delay in the clean-up and remediation, stressing that a JIV should be constituted immediately.
Residents of Okuntu community on their part lamented that the incident have prevented the people, who are predominantly fisherfolks and farmers from carrying out their economic activities, thereby causing hunger and starvation.
Chairman of Okuntu Community, Mofort Mebilaje, also stated that fire broke out on the 18th of July 2024 from the facility which is owned by Brittina-U Nigeria, and caused crude oil and other chemicals to drift ashore, polluting the coastline of Okuntu and other communities.
He revealed that the community had tried to escalate the issue to the company without any response.
Mofort called on the federal and state governments to intervene on the issue and prevail on the company to constitute a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the community to determine the level of pollution and to send relief materials to the community.
A fisherwoman from the community, who identified herself as Baby Oziye, also lamented that several persons are now hospitalized after drinking the water, following the pollution caused by the spill.
Another resident, Akin Ayigo who also spoke on the issue lamented that neither the company nor government agencies has taken any step to remedy the spill.
He added that fishing boats are afraid to go close to the polluted area due to the high level of chemical concentration. He called on the relevant agencies to swiftly take action so as to salvage the community from the impacts.
Story of the Ajakpa host communities is not different from that of other oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region where the people will cry for an oil company to clean up a pollution arising from their operations. It is the same story of turning a blind eye while the people cry.
Host Communities are becoming more aware of their rights. The people have vowed not to sit back while their environment remains polluted. It is either the relevant agencies and the oil companies take steps to immediately quench the fire and clean up the polluted area, or turn a blind eye and bear the resultant consequences.