Port Harcourt — Indigenous oil firm, Oando Plc, has discharged nothing less than 217 barrels of crude oil into the swampy environment of Ogboinbiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Further destroying the already fragile Niger Delta ecosystem.
The oil spill, which occurred on September 5, 2024, from the 14’’ Ogboinbiri/Tebidaba pipeline, is attributed to equipment failure and a rupture at 6 o’clock position, directly under the pipe, according to the Joint Investigative Visit, JIV, Report with incident reference 2024/SAR/216.
JIV is a statutory inquiry that follows every oil spill incident consisting of representatives of the oil firm operating the facility, regulators, host community and State Ministry of Environment.
Ogboinbiri, host to numerous crude oil assets including a flow station, pipelines and 30 oil wells formerly owned and operated by Italian Eni’s Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, which is now operated by Oando Plc, following the $783million acquisition of Agip by the former.
Speaking, the Paramount Ruler of Ogboinbiri community, H.R.H Okosughe Benson Eseimokumo, said the community’s environment has experienced several oil spill incidents over the years, just as routine gas flaring has continued 24hours every day.
Eseimokumo called on Oando Plc to immediately begin a comprehensive cleanup of the area and proper compensation to the community, noting that the spill has spread far into the swamp down to ponds, lakes, and creeks where the community people get seafood from.
He said, “Ogboinbiri environment has been experiencing consistent oil-spill cases and it’s continuing. This particular one was reported to me on the 5th of September and JIV has been done. It is just sad that this incident is happening this rainy season.
“From my investigations, the spill has spread more than 200 meters away from the Oando pipeline Right of Way, and it is still extending into the swamp; which means that immediately there is a rainfall; all the ponds, lakes, and rivulets would be polluted. Those are the areas that we get the prawns, fish, and others from, meaning that by January next year, we will not be having fish from the ponds and the lakes.”I am calling on Oando to do the right thing. Oil spill cases should not be left for more than 48 hours before they are contained. For example, now, they have measured the impacted area, but since after the Field Joint Investigation, the spill has been spreading, which means the first measurement recorded in the JIV report is more like a mirage, not the true measurement.
“There should be deliberate measures to avoid oil spills and where they happen; urgent action should be taken. At the same time, I am calling on State and Federal governments to deliberately make laws and policies to make pollution cases like this have a very punitive fine. If the fine is heavy the companies will deliberately avoid spill cases. So even if it happens it would be on rare occasions. But now it is like a free market.”
Similarly, the Environmental Defenders Network, EDEN has called for immediate containment and cleanup of the spill by Oando Plc, followed by Post Impact Assessment, to determine the total impacted area, while urging Oando not to be environmentally destructive like NAOC.
EDEN’s Deputy Executive Director, Alagoa Morris, said pursuit of profit should not displace environmental human rights as enshrined in Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and urged regulatory bodies to ensure prompt action by polluters through tight follow-ups on incidents to prevent greater environmental damage.
Morris noted that apart from the negative impacts suffered by Ogboinbiri people in connection with the 24/7 gas flaring within proximity to the community, it was unsurprising that NAOC perpetrated negative environmental practices such as setting oil spill sites ablaze instead of proper cleanup and remediation of such environment.
He said, “With the observed spreading of crude oil in the swampy environment, unless urgent steps are taken by Oando; many more areas will be affected especially as we are heading deeper into the rainy season and flood levels are expected to rise.
“The flood would aid the spread of crude oil in the swamp. Incidentally, EDEN has not seen any measures taken by Oando to prevent the spread of crude oil in the environment. Ordinarily, there should have been actions taken to ensure the protection of the environment. The question is, if NAOC performed below expectations on issues relating to oil spills and environmental safety; would Oando do better? Oando cannot afford to be worse or walk on the same path as Agip.
“Oando should have, as a policy; prompt and practical oil spill response and containment contingency action. This should be the case, no matter the cause of oil spills. Oando should immediately mobilize to the impacted environment and stop, prevent further spread of crude oil in the swamp. This should be followed up with immediate proper cleanup as chemical reaction between crude oil and water has a far-reaching negative impact on marine ecosystems; whether crude oil is seen or not is immaterial,” EDEN said.
Photo:
Oil spill caused by equipment failure from Oando facility ravages Ogboinbiri in Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State
