Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Ijaw Elders Forum, IEF and the Ijaw Nation Forum, INF, have said that the federal government has abandoned victims of Nembe oil spills which occured in OML29, operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, accusing the government of being insensitive to the governed.
Recall that between November 5th to December 8th 2021, Santa Barbra well-1 operated by Aiteo suffered a blow out which uncontrollably spilled thousands barrels of crude oil and gas into the Santa Barbara Riiver and Nembe creeks for six weeks.
Speaking, the pro-Ijaw groups said it was surprising that the federal government was yet to address the environmental damages arising from the spillage, or compel Aiteo to pay compensation to the affected communities, more than five months after.
Secretary of IEF, Pastor Efiye Bribena, and the Moderator of the INF, Mr. Ben Amaebi Okoro, in a statement urged President Muhammadu Buhari to commence necessary remediations in the affected communities without further delay.
“We have not heard or seen any tangible effort from the Federal Government on the restoration of the environment and on payment of compensation to the impacted communities.
“What is the Federal Government doing to assure the impacted communities that they are not left to their fate?”
The groups also charged the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to use his good offices to decisively address the issue, as a son of the polluted area.
“As Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and an Ijaw man whose communities are devastated by these repeated spill disasters from grossly unprofessional operations, it is your responsibility to take the necessary actions to decisively address these catastrophes.”
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