SPDC/NLNG planned divestment: Rivers Community Seeks N/Assembly intervention over environmental pollution

By Obiabin Onukwugha

Jumbo Akatikpo Park Community in Bonny local government area of Rivers State are seeking an intervention from the National Assembly over the planned divestment by the Shell and the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas company (NLNG).

According to the community leadership, SPDC/NLNG are planning to divest their Interest at the Bonny Crude Oil and Gas Terminal without paying up existing liabilities and restoring their environment.

At a recent meeting with Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum (Gas), and Petroleum (Upstream), the community accused the NLNG of massive pollution and environmental degradation through the dumping of hazardous wastes into drainages in the community that flows into the river and pollute both the land and water bodies.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation,
Dr Akie Opuene Hart, National President, Mangrove Forest Conservation Society of Nigeria and Sir Warisenibo David Jumbo, respectively, said several letters written to SPDC/NLNG and Renaissance Energy, on the need to address the issues facing the community have remained unattended to.

The community, in a protest letter titled “SAVE JUMBO AKATIKPO PARK FROM SPDC AND THEIR PARTNER NLNG”, presented to the Senate committee, are insisting that all liabilities to Host Communities must be met before the planned disinvestment.

In the letter, which was made available to NatureNews in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Jumbo Akatikpo Park Community lamented that the people are living in a gravely diminished status with aggravated critical Public Health challenges, polluted air, land and sea as a result of the operations of Shell and NLNG.

The community called for a joint visit by the Senate committee to the community to ascertain the plights of the people.

The letter read in part: “On acquisition of the Bonny terminal land, SPDC went ahead to sand fill one part of the land where its facilities are located without an environmental, health, and safety impact assessment. These abnormalities have resulted in hazardous consequences for the people as the other part of the land where the people still live under harsh conditions became an artificial lowland, and all wastes generated and all runoffs from SPDC/NLNG facilities were washed into the community.

“SPDC and NLNG are planning to upload their Interest in the Upstream Sector at Bonny Crude Oil and Gas Terminal without adhering to the guidelines that said existing liabilities and environmental degradation must be addressed before any exit.The regulations said that all liabilities to Host Communities must be met before disinvestment.

“Regrettably, SPDC/NLNG are planning to hand over the Bonny Export Terminal to Renaissance Energy without following the guidelines. SPDC used the leased community Land as its equity participation in the NLNG project, and SPDC produces the MD of NLNG, which shows strong linkage.

“The Jumbo Akatikpo Park Community is living in a gravely diminished status with aggravated critical Public Health challenges, polluted air, land and sea. The two sources of livelihood of the people in fishing and farming have been totally destroyed and the people economically strangulated and environmentally suffocated as the facilities of the two companies are located very close to the living settlements and grossly below regulatory requirements of distance between a living settlement and Oil/Gas facility.

“The hazardous wastes drainage that brings out a combination of wastes from the Oil and Gas tank farms enters into the community every day to the extent that your can see residues of hydrocarbons inside the homes of the indigenes.The Terminal has been sand filled which has led to it being elevated and the neighboring land a low land. This altered topography has led to perennial flooding into the community that has become a nightmare for the indigene and residents of Jumbo Akatikpo Park Community.

“The only alternative left for the people is to go for fishing but the foreshores and rivers of their community are also polluted with gas and crude discharges/ spillages. A hazardous and expensive last option is to go for deep sea fishing and this requires stronger outboard engines and stronger boats because the fishing will be at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean which the impoverished, marginalized, discriminated and maltreated Jumbo Akatikpo Park fishing folks cannot afford.

“To ensure that they do not fish at all either in front of their community or at deep sea, there is a Fishing Exclusion Zone by NLNG and SPDC manned by armed security to prevent fishing when there are oil and gas tankers on the sea for loading of gas and crude oil. The lifting is ongoing which means that there is an enforced no fishing.

“The people cannot fish or farm, they are not employed as either casual or skilled staff, no contracts, no social empowerment program.

“The people are sick, hungry and live in fear. They cannot sleep in the day or night or rest as the takeoffs, flying over and landings of NLNG and SPDC flights with its noise pollution that the decibels are above the threshold that is conducive for humanity is the order of the day.”

The community, are therefore demanding that the National Assembly prevails on the companies to restore their livelihoods and relocate them to a better and safe environment before exiting the area.

The letter continued: “The people are peacefully asking for restoration, remediation and resettlement in line with international and local regulations.

“If Finima was relocated, why would Jumbo Akatikpo Park not be relocated , compensated, treated medically and integrated in all corporate social responsibility programs. What we have on ground is mind boggling and the highest level of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man.

“Justice must be peacefully demanded within the constitutional process with the aid of constructive and firm sustainable engagement.”

Responding, the Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum (Gas), Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, assured the delegation that the committee will look into the complains and do all that is within their powers to ensure that host communities rights are protected.

Also present at the meeting was Senator Etang Williams, Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream).