By Obiabin Onukwugha
Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West local government area of Delta State, have accused the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NPSC)/NNPC) of failure to take remediation steps at the Escravos to Warri crude oil trunkline, where oil spill occured.
It would be recalled that an oil spill which occured in June this year affected coastline communities in the area, including Oporoza, Okpele-Ama/Tebujor, Ikpokpo, Opuedebubo, Opuede, Atanba, Ogbotu, Okerenkokogbene, Gan-Ama Zion, Kala-Ikpokpo, and Maike-Ama communities.
It was gathered that the recent oil spill which occurred on August, 10, 2024 at Atanba in Gbaramatu Kingdom has caused massive damage to land, waterways, aquatic lives, fishing materials, rivers, drinking water and the livelihood of the people in genera in the same communities.
In a protest letter by Eric Omare, on behalf of the communities, which was sent to the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited; Director General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA); Zonal Head, NOSDRA, Warri, Delta State; Area Manager, Nigeria Pipeline Storage Company Limited (NPSC), Ekpan, as well as the Zonal Director, Delta State Ministry of Environment, Warri, the communities expressed displeasure over the manner at which the oil companies neglected the communities.
The letter stated that on noticing the massive spill, the communities promptly reported the incident to the NPSC/NNPC pipeline surveillance workers around the facility on Monday, August 11, 2024 at their Houseboat at Ubafan, near Escravos and demanded a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) but rather than take urgent steps to clean and remediate the affected areas, NPSC/NNPC has neglected them.
The communities alleged that the NPSC/NNPC failed to report the spillage to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), but instead mobilised its pipeline contractor to repair the spill point without a JIV.
The letter read in part: “Our Clients’ state that contrary to the established internationally acceptable standard in the oil and gas industry, your company has failed/refused and neglected to report the spillage to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit to the site of the spillage to ascertain the cause of the spillage and take necessary steps.
“It is our Clients’ further brief that instead of carrying out JIV with the relevant stakeholders as required by law, the NPSC/NNPC mobilised its pipeline contractor, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited to the site to commenced repair of the spill point without a JIV.
“Because of the fast-moving river current around the point of the spillage, the spillage has affected several communities and people resident within the communities and other neighbouring communities within the Gbaramatu Kingdom who are suffering from the effects of the spillage up till this moment.”
The communities in the letter therefore urged the companies and relevant agencies to urgently conduct a JIV so as to ascertain the level of impact arising from the oil spill and provoded the people with relief materials.
“We urge the NPSC/NNPC and relevant authorities to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to ascertain the cause of the spillage and take necessary steps. The communities demand urgent clean-up and remediation, provision of relief materials, assessment of damage, and fair compensation.”
“The spillage has caused colossal damages to our lands, waterways, fishing materials, drinking water, and aquatic lives. We demand a Joint Investigation Visit comprising officials of NOSDRA, NPSC/NNPC, and affected community representatives. The NPSC/NNPC should provide relief materials to the people of the affected communities and assess the extent of damage for fair compensation,” the letter added.
