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By Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja
Recall that the communities had reported a massive oil pollution ravaging the Forcados area, which affected the Odimodi, Beneboye, Isiayeigbene and Okuntu community coastline in July. Different reports from the communities allege that, the crude oil spill was caused by a fire incident which happened on a Floating Production Storage and Offloading Facility owned by Brittina-U Nigeria Limited, at Ajakpa Field, OML 90.
The Communities stated their positions during a People’s Assembly Action organized by Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) in the respective affected communities, as part of the lineup of activities towards the African People’s Counter COP (APCC) which is supported by the Africa Climate Justice Collective (ACJC) aimed at exposing the oil spill crisis caused by Brittania-U in the affected communities.
The people of the communities lamented that despite the grave health damages, environmental and air pollution caused by the spill, neither the company, NOSDRA or any other agency have visited the communities to ascertain the level of damages caused by the spill and how the fishing and farming folks have survived in the face of their degraded environment and the destruction of livelihood.
One of the community representatives (names withheld) said “We woke up in the night and saw fire in the sea. The company vessel was burning. Everywhere had been polluted with crude oil. The crude spread from the sea into the creeks and destroyed our land. We have suffered different kinds of sickness since then. We have been through a lot since that spill happened in July. We have evidence of some of the crude we collected from the spill.
A representative of the Isiayegbene community, Jacob Obolo said “The waste liquid made up of oil and water is being disposed into the sea from this pipe. We have had several oil spills from Shell facility but they will blame it on sabotage without doing anything to clean up. We have been suffering from Shell spills before the one of Brittania-U in July. On the 18th of July, we were watching as the Brittania-U vessel was burning. Before we knew it, all the crude oil in the vessel started flowing towards the shore. We have some of the crude we collected to keep as evidence.
Head of the Odimodi Community Health Center: Oweniyi Florence said when the spill happened, people from Beneboye, Isiayegbene and other communities were rushed to the Odimodi health center. Some had difficulty in breathing, some had rashes, some were coughing. In or healt center, we do not have enough facilities and medications, so we had to refer them to Warri. The water also flowed to Odimodi and destroyed our land. It is so bad that months after it happened, the company has not done anything. The people in these communities are suffering. They shold bring relief materials and compensate the people.
Also speaking on the issue, the sectary of Odimodi, Preye Oweide who received the CODAF delegation expressed the gratitude of the community for the concern shown to their community and other neighboring communities in the face of the oil and gas crisis rocking the area.
He lamented that the people of the communities who rely on fishing and farming as their means of livelihood, have been driven into a deep level of poverty, as the spill has destroyed their nets, have chased away the fishes and their farmlands destroyed.
He called on the government and the public to compel Brittania-U to conduct an assessment of the spill, to send relief materials to the affected communities, conduct a clean of the affected areas and to pay for the damages incurred.
The people of Beneboye and Isiayegbene also did a seaside action, demanding for environmental and hman rights justice for their people.
Speaking to the respective communities, Richard Benin, executive director of CODAF, stated that the domestic and international oil exploration companies in the Niger Delta region have continued to pollute the environment because they are aware of the inability of the communities to speak together in one voice, to demand accountability from the companies and the government who are key beneficiaries of oil extraction.
“CODAF and other affiliate organizations in Nigeria, Africa and the world can only act on these reports if the communities can be united to speak about their challenges and tell the world about their stories of hunger, poverty, health challenges and neglect, despite their status as an oil rich region.”
