Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre says indigenous operators may have bought more liabilities than assets from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, following the reoccurring cases of wellhead eruption from facilities hitherto operated by the Dutch firm.
Executive Director of YEAC, Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, recalled the recent wellhead blowouts from facilities operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, as well as Eroton Exploration and Production Nigeria, which spewed massive crude oil and gas into the Niger Delta environment uncontrollably for weeks.
Fyneface who is an environment justice activist, explained that the eruptions have worsen the environmental issues in the region, destroying water bodies, flora and fauna up to the Atlantic Ocean considering the speed and volume of oil spewed for weeks.
He accused Shell of divesting obsolete and outdated facilities which it had operated for over 60years, to local companies who also lack the technical and financial capacity to man the facilities.
“These eruptions are from facilities owned and operated by indigenous oil companies, Eroton E&P Ltd, and Aiteo Group, facilities divested by Shell; an indication that what the local companies bought from Shell are more of liabilities than assets.
“With facilities operated by Shell for over 64years without proper maintenance and with such facilities already obsolete with outdated technology now being divested to indigenous oil companies, what the local companies are buying are more liabilities than assets.
“Recent incidents of massive uncontrollable oil spill from such facilities in the Niger Delta like the Aiteo Group and Eroton E&P oil spills, are pointers to the fact that Shell divested liabilities to the local companies that even lack the technical and financial capacity.
“With this really, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre advises Shell not stay far from the liabilities handed over to the local companies because they still have to share in the blame of spills from the obsolete facility divested.”
The group further expressed worries that when destructive spills from wellhead eruptions occurred, damaging the ecosystems and livelihoods sources, the operators, even without any joint investigation visit are always quick to blame third parties in order to abdicate responsibilities associated with the spillage.
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