Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Members of Eteo in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State have criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL for allegedly carrying out repairs on a leaking oil pipeline in the area, without remediating the damages caused to the environment.
Recall that fresh oil spills from a facility operated by NNPC Ltd. rocked Oke-Olebo stream in Eteo community, Eleme on 19th June 2023, destroying the community’s source of water, environment and spreading to other areas through the flowing stream; few days after a similar spill was noticed on Okulu River in Aleto, Eleme.
Speaking, the Community Development Committee Chairman of Eteo, Mr Fortune Chutte, said the community which is made up of mostly farmers and fishermen have been suffering due to the oil spill from NNPCL pipeline which occurred in the community since June 2023.
Narrating the difficulties faced by members of the community, Chutte explained that the spills have affected farming, fishing and drinking water in the community, since the spills impacted the stream which serve as the community’s source of drinking water.
He lamented that despite repeated calls to the NNPCL, the company has failed to remediate the environment, regretting that the company secretly carried out repairs works on the pipeline while brazenly ignoring the people who were directly affected by the spills.
He charged the Rivers State Government to come to their aid of the community, by compelling the management of NNPCL to remediate the environment and provide relief materials, succour and compensation to the people.
“Up till now we are yet to see NNPC, nobody from the company has visited the community.
“We can no longer drink the stream water; we can no longer soak our cassava in the stream. We are now relying on sachet water.
“We want the Rivers State Government to compel NNPCL to come and clean up the oil from the environment. We also need relief materials, our people are suffering,” the community leader said.
