Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A fresh oil spill from a pipeline operated by NNPC Ltd. has rocked Ekerekana community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The oil spill which is running into Okrika River became noticeable on Sunday morning, directly in front of the Okrika LGA Council Secretariat.
Community members are seen scooping the spilled crude into kegs and cans, as the spilt point is yet to be clamped or cordoned off as of the time of filing this report.
Confirming the crude oil spill, a member of Okrika Caretaker Committee, Mr Andy Okeke, said the oil spill has been on for over two days, noting that the Community Development Committee Chairman of Ekerekana, had visited the spill site.
Okeke said, “Yes it is true, crude oil spill has occurred in that area. The oil spill is through the outlet from the refinery, even the CDC chairman and other community leaders have visited the place
“Crude oil is running down into the river.”
Similarly, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria said the oil spill was from one of the NNPCL pipelines supplying crude to the Port Harcourt refinery, which the GCEO of NNPC Ltd claimed will commence production next month.
Executive Director of YEAC Nigeria, Mr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface charged industry regulators, particularly the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, to ensure that NNPC Ltd and the Port Harcourt refinery do not further degrade the already degraded Niger Delta environment.
“YEAC-Nigeria has received a report of crude oil speed in Okrika, members of our one million youth volunteers network reported that the spill occurred on Saturday July 20th 2024, the spill occurred near the LGA Council, and that area is where you have the NNPCL pipeline crisscrossing the community even above the ground.
“The regulatory agency should take steps to work with the community and other stakeholders for a JIV, while also finding ways to address the spill that has been reported in the area, because this is the second of such oil spill from NNPCL.
“NNPCL in the process of test-running the Port Harcourt refinery should endeavor not to allow oil spills to occur frequently in the area, and further degrade the already fragile Niger Delta environment.
“Most of these pipelines are old and NNPCL is putting pressure on them by pumping crude through it to the Port Harcourt refinery. These pipelines were laid in1960s, so there is a need for their replacement to address incessant cases of oil spills in the area.”
