Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Chemical wastes dumped by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company is threatening the health and agricultural lives of the people of Umu-Ezeakpor in Ogbolori community, Mgbede, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Our correspondent gathered that Agip converted a portion of land (28 plots) belonging to the Umu-Ezeakpor family to its waste dump site, leaving heaps of contaminated sands and stones evacuated from oil spill sites in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the Umu-Ezeakpor family, the Egbema Voice of Freedom said the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, following a petition from the family conducted a joint inspection of the area on the 13th of August 2013 and found out that the Agip polluted the said farmland and had called for remediation.
Leader of Egbema Voice of Freedom, Pastor Evaristus Nicholas, regretted that all efforts made for Agip to meet with the concerned community members to clean up the farmland, has remained futile.
Nicholas lamented that said the development started over 30 years ago, adding that the wastes cover over 28 plots of land belong to the Umu-Ezeakpor family.
He added that the chemical wastes pose health risks to the people of the area, adding that the people can no longer use their land for agricultural purposes.
“The Rivers State Ministry of Environment has gone to that site more than 15 years ago alongside Agip and community members to see things and have written a report saying that there are toxic chemicals on that land.
“The Ministry went further to invite NAOC/ENI to a meeting with the community members and asked NAOC/ENI to pay the members of the community N5million then, but NAOC/ENI refused to pay and refused to clean up rather each passing day when there is oil spill on another site, they remove the sand and transfer it to this land thereby degrading the farmland the more.
“Regrettably, because the people do not have another farmland they keep planting crops on the same land and they eat this produce some die because of the chemical effect on the produce.
“We are calling on the world to ask NAOC/Eni to stop this environmental genocide they’re committing against our people.”
Meanwhile the Italian oil firm has remained silent over the development despite moves from the community and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment to get them to clean-up the area.
When contacted, the Head of the Agip’s Team interfacing with Umu-Ezeakpor, Mr. Chris Eke, declined comment on the development.
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