The Environmental Rights
Action/Friends of the Earth(ERA/FoEN) has demanded the Federal Government
compel Agip to clamp is leaking oil facilities that have ravaged Odioama
community in Bayelsa State, and compel the company to embark on cleanups and
compensation of affected communities.
ERA/FoEN is making the call
following a Save our Souls from community folks which necessitated an
investigation by ERA/FoEN field monitors which confirmed oil slick spreading
along the Odioama coastline on the fringes of the Atlantic ocean.
Odioama is a Nembe-speaking Ijaw
community in Bayelsa State with several satellite settlements. The main
occupation of the locals is fishing. Odioama is one of the communities affected
by the 2011 Bonga spill incident blamed on Shell.
On Friday, 29th November, 2013 a
major spill from facilities belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company/ Eni
impacted the environment again threatening local sources of livelihoods.
Community folks who conducted
ERA/FoEN field monitors around some sites/ fishing camps showed impacted
vegetation along the community sand banks soiled with crude oil in many areas.
In a statement issued in Lagos,
ERA/FoEN described the November 29, 2013 spill as “one pollution too many”, and
demanded the Nigerian government investigate the endless spills caused by Agip
facilities in the Niger Delta and compel the company to clean-up the
environment and compensate victims without delay.
“The spreading spill in Odioama is
not only inexcusable, the failure of Agip to stop the leaking pipes is
indicative of complete disregard for the people and environment. This incident
adds to the growing number of spills traced to Agip facilities that continue to
degrade the environment and local livelihoods. This is totally unacceptable,”
said ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Ojo.
Ojo explained that the Odioama
community is under siege, having suffered massive impacts from Shell’s Bonga
Spill which occurred in 2011. Fisherfolks were reported to have suffered low
catch, forcing many to abandon their means of livelihood and move to other
parts of the Niger Delta.
Chief Francis Clinton Tubo Ikagi,
the Chairman, Odioama council of chiefs said: “We started noticing the signs of
crude oil from as far as the Nembe route from Yenagoa which is 35 minutes to
Odioama Creek by speed boat. We wrote to Agip and the company confirmed that it
was an oil spill. After writing a report that they demanded we are surprised
that till now nothing has been done to contain the spill.
Ikagi explained that the community
folks have started experiencing low fish cash, reminiscent of the Bonga spill
which affected fisherfolks.
Ojo said that ERA/FoEN is in
solidarity with community folks demanding that the National Oil Spills
Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) and other relevant government
agencies ensure a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) be carried out in
concert with the local community folks to ascertain the cause of spill as well
as volumes spilled in the environment.
“No more excuse for this systematic
ecocide perpetrated by Agip is acceptable. It must own up to its negligence,
remediate the polluted environment and compensate the local community folks
whose livelihoods have already suffered an abrupt termination for no fault of
theirs. Nothing short of this makes sense”, Ojo insisted.
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