Rido: The dilemma of a refinery’s host community

Malam Abdullahi Yayi-Gabas is one of the aged residents of Rido. He said the community has over the years, been exposed to many environmental hazards including oil spills, fire outbreaks and toxic emissions from the refinery. Despite these threats, according to Yayi-Gabas, the community is not feeling the positive impact of the refinery. Our investigations […]

Malam Abdullahi Yayi-Gabas is one of the aged residents of Rido. He said the community has over the years, been exposed to many environmental hazards including oil spills, fire outbreaks and toxic emissions from the refinery. Despite these threats, according to Yayi-Gabas, the community is not feeling the positive impact of the refinery.

Our investigations reveal that residents of Rido village have over the years, been battling with the menace of oil spills that usually destroys their farmlands, waters and environment in general, coupled with the problem of toxic emissions from the refinery.

As a result of these, experts are attributing the mysterious disease bedeviling the children of the community to the activities of the refinery.

“We are in a dilemma as we don’t have another place to relocate and we don’t have the powers to fight for our rights from the authorities of the refinery. Apart from the occasional oil spills that usually destroys our farmlands; other wastes that are being discharge from the refinery pose serious threat to our lives. As I talk to you now, there is a strange disease that is afflicting our children. Our children, for a reason yet to be confirmed, speak nasally. This made us a believe that this strange disease that befell our children may not be unconnected with pollution of our environment through oil spillage, air pollution, among others,” Malam Yayi- Gabas, said.

Dr Pwanidi Sofeme Luwa of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria, said communities like Rido are vulnerable to such types of mysterious diseases.

“Proper investigations have to be conducted to determine the cause of that disease. But since the disease is not common to a single family in the community, it is possible that the refinery’s emission may be responsible. If a whole community is affected by a certain disease, then the environmental factor, not hereditary can be the cause. In the case of Rido community, I would suggest a proper investigation to determine the actual cause of that disease,” Dr Luwa said

However, Dr Luwa said oil spill is capable of causing skin burns, skin cancer, cancer of the liver and lungs. He said such oil contains toxic chemicals that can cause both physical and internal damages to the body.

The mysterious disease is right now common among children of between 5 and 10 years. According to Malam Yayi-Gabas, most households in the community are having at least, a child who is suffering from that disease.

Aside the problem of the mysterious disease, travelling to Rido village is always a hazardous task. The untarred road is in a deplorable state, which is the first clear indication to visitors of how the state of infrastructure is in the refinery’s host community.

“As you can see, there is little or no government presence here. The road is in a deplorable condition. Water is also a problem here not to talk of electricity. What we receive from the refinery is promises. This community has been experiencing so many untold hardships. Apart from the recent event of oil spill, about 20 years or more ago, there was a serious fire outbreak from one of the refinery’s oil reservoirs. We saw hell at that time and since then, we have to continue to live with the problems and hazards that this refinery poses to our lives and without support from anywhere,” Malam Yayi-Gabas said.

The most recent oil spill experienced by the Rido community was the one that occurred on Saturday, September 3, 2011. The waste-oil-reservoir of the KRPC overflowed. The spillage caused severe damage to some farmlands belonging to the community.

Because of what many residents tagged as manifestation of poverty, the village’s youths besieged the bush behind the Kaduna refinery to scoop the spilled black oil, perhaps, oblivious of the lurking danger.

When Sunday Trust visited the oil spill site at that time, one of the youths who simply identified himself as Danlami, said they saw the spilled-oil as an opportunity to “get some token that would last us one or two weeks. You know how the country is. We have nothing doing, therefore opportunity like this one is effectively utilised, the visible danger notwithstanding.”

Danlami explained that each 50-litre of the scooped-oil was sold at between N3000 and N4000, saying; “from morning to this afternoon, I have made about five 50-litre cans. I think it is now clear for you to see reason why we are desperate.”

Sarkin Rido (District Head), Alhaji Hamisu Haruna, confirmed to Sunday Trust in an interview that Rido community is in a serious dilemma.

“Yes, it is true that some of our children speak nasally. I cannot say what the cause is really but some people are attributing it to environmental hazards. Yes, it is true that we have some problems especially that of bad roads and other infrastructure. The refinery’s management has been promising to help but we are still waiting,” Alhaji Haruna said.

However, Alhaji Haruna said after the recent oil spill, the refinery donated 300 bags of rice, 300 cans of vegetable oil, 300 cartons of milk and 300 cartons of washing soap.

A representative of the Rido community at the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd (KRPC), Mr Bulus Samsun, said; “We occasionally experience this type of oil spill but we take solace in the fact that whenever this type of thing happens, the management of the refinery responds in good time,” Mr Samsun said.

According to Dr Luwa of the ABUTH, communities like Rido are prone to many diseases. He said places such as Rido, where refineries are sited, ought to have adequate care from the refinery’s management.

“Alternatively, such communities should be relocated, otherwise contracting such strange diseases and other diseases cannot be ruled out,” Dr Luwa explained.

When contacted for comments on the strange disease and other issues raised by the Rido villagers, the Public Affairs Manager of the KRPC, Kaduna, Idris Abdullahi, said; “Have you seen the disease and medically certify that it is from any refinery emission? What disease is it and which competent medical authority confirmed to you about its source? And what do you mean by absence of amenities in the community? I think you need to do more investigations before you start arriving at such serious conclusions. When you do all that, you can come to us with your findings. I think it will be more rewarding that way.

“It is your job as a reporter to investigate issues so that you don’t end up reporting unsubstantiated rumours. That is called investigative reporting. So, please, before you report anything, get your facts right so that your story will be more credible.”

With that response of the KRPC’s mouthpiece, villagers of Rido, obviously, have to wait for divine intervention. Until that happens, they have to, for now, continue to battle with the mysterious disease, oil spill, refinery emissions and other environmental hazards that the Kaduna refinery poses.