Residents of Obololi community in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State, have lamented the lack of relief efforts following the February 16 oil spill that contaminated their river and surrounding creeks.
Despite the severe pollution, they say no form of assistance or cleanup has been provided to mitigate the environmental damage.
The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) identified the spill’s source as a 16-inch Nun River-Kolo Creek underwater pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
However, weeks after the disaster, affected residents remain abandoned, facing health risks and loss of livelihoods due to the polluted waterways.
The chairman, Obololi Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Goodnews Okoi, in a telephone interview on Tuesday, stated that the coastline community is suffering acute water scarcity amidst cholera outbreak across Bayelsa.
He lamented that following the pollution of the Obololi River which the people hitherto depended on for drinking and domestic use, they are compelled to resort to sachet water at exorbitant costs.
“We feel abandoned, this oil spillage has adversely impacted the entire community. We have suspended our fishing vocation as our farmlands and creeks are also not spared.
“The cost of water had gone up by approximately 100 per cent to N50 naira per sachet and N800 per bag, the hardship is so much given the general economic hardship.
“Sadly the operator of the facility has not shown any concern on the sufferings caused by the spill. In fact, what the officials of SPDC tell us is that unless the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) concludes on equipment failure, SPDC will not act.
“Also, we have been expecting relief from the state government following the visit of Bayelsa Commissioner for Environment. The local government chairman, Target Segibo, offered to rehabilitate an existing borehole.
“They started repairs but the submersible pump failed and they are yet to procure any replacement,” he said.
Okoi noted that the oil firm has yet to engage the community on the recommendations by NOSDRA to divert the river to enable access to the leak point.
He explained that the community is nursing fears that creating a dam to divert the river will distort the navigability of the river.
“This recommendation by NOSDRA is of great concern to us. How will boats that bring goods and merchandise and essential items come? The SPDC has to factor these concerns and make the operations have a human face.
“Look at what we have been going through since the middle of February till date and the company has not provided any form of support in the face of the impact of the spill,” Okoi said.
According to sources from the Obololi community, the recovery of spilled crude into plastic tanks was already ongoing.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for SPDC, Mr Michael Adande, earlier said that the oil firm has shut oil feeds into the leaking pipeline. Adande pledged to update us on relief, remediation, and response efforts but has yet to do so.
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