Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities have visited some oil impacted communities in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, to inspect damages caused by oil spills from the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, pipelines in the area.
The the impacted sites visited include Kpogbaa in Bomu, Bon Mbabari Asakpugi, Bon Tamana, Bon Tigara, Bon Kolore, Bon Legbaa, Bon Dukori and Naadube, all in Kpor, Gokana Local Government Area.
The chairman of the community, Dumnamene Dekor, said the visit was in response to petitions written by the affected communities in June, 2021 to the National Assembly.
Dekor said the team has traversed the impacted communities and their rivers to have first hand information on the spills, as well as the claims from the communities which had to do with the purported spills coming from SPDC pipeline since 2008.
“We just came to verify and try to see if there is any linkage in their claims. That is why members of this Committee are here.
“Members of the Committee and officials from Shell are all here, so that they will all have direct contact with what the claims are. We have come and we have seen. The Committee would send its report to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“Both the affected communities and SPDC have seen things for themselves, whatever will be the outcome, will be appreciated by all parties.
“We want to also thank members of the communities for not taking laws into their hands. We also want to thank SPDC for cooperating to the extent that they have come here today. I think so far, all is well and good,” he said.
Also speaking, Paramount Ruler of Kpor Community, Mene Avalobari, called for thorough remediation and adequate compensation from SPDC to the affected communities.
Avalobari demanded for holistic clean-up, remediation to restore the environment and compensation.
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