Community complains over oil spill

In a Save-Our-Soul message they sent to the leadership of the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Environment, the people noted that in spite of the fact that they played good hosts to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company over the years, they have suffered huge losses occasioned by the activities of the multi-national company […]

In a Save-Our-Soul message they sent to the leadership of the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Environment, the people noted that in spite of the fact that they played good hosts to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company over the years, they have suffered huge losses occasioned by the activities of the multi-national company to their environment and economic survival as a people.
Spokesman of the people, Barrister Gift Douglas, said their community has witnessed massive oil spill from the Brass/Ogada pipe line in recent years because of corrosion as a result of the age of the pipeline and activities of vandals.
He said: “Oil spillage has been a recurrent decimal in the land of Okoroba and the impact of the activities have affected the people negatively.
“Why are they treating the Okoroba people with total contempt? Will they exhibit this attitude in Milan, London, France or in any of the European Union member state? The application of double standards in the oil operations in the Delta is worrisome. We wish to state categorically that the spill is as a result of equipment failure and by the legal implication the people are entitled to be compensated adequately.
“We demand the immediate dispatch of relief materials to the community. We demand for an emergency meeting with the company, government and the Okoroba people. We demand a comprehensive environmental impact assessment. We demand a proper clean-up of the land and the environment. We demand for a post impact assessment on the Okoroaba devastated land as a result of the company activities. We demand for adequate and prompt compensation to the people of Okoroba and the families for the loss of sources of living.”