Bayelsa community accuses Agip of oil leak

Nathan Tamarapeye

The people of Okpoama community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have accused Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) of polluting their environment through oil spills.

The community, which relies heavily on fishing, said they have suffered untold hardship as the pollution from oil facilities have destroyed aquatic lives.

Chairman of the Okpoama Kingdom Chiefs Council, Chief Inikio Sele-Dede, said on Monday in Yenagoa that the leadership of Okpoama, where Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum hails from, restrains the youths from violence.

He added that the youths had threatened to storm the Agip Cuden Terminal in Brass over the leakage which happened along the 24 “Ogoda-Brass trunkline operated by NAOC at Ikuiku near Ewoama-Brass.

According to Sele-Dede, the spill, which is the second in the area since May 2020, was discovered on October 8, 2020 and is still discharging crude oil into the creeks and adjourning environment till date.

Inikio-Sele-Dede decried the leakage which has spread to Fantuo, Canus Kiri Okpongbokiri, Inibomoye Kiri, Alafurughakiri, Inengigha kiri because of the tidal current.

He stated that that NAOC officials visited the scene of the spill secretly without the knowledge of the JIV team to stop the spill to no avail.

He said: “In May this year we had a similar incident not far from the present spill site. In this case, just as the previous case Agip officials came secretly to attempt to stop the leakage but was overwhelmed by the pressure.

“You can imagine the quantum of oil that has gone in the creeks given the number of days of leakage from Oct. 8.”

Sele-Dede noted that Ikuiku is an area where women go and harvest periwinkles, adding that the youths who hitherto engaged in fishing in the area had suspended their vocation due to the pollution of the area and are angry over the development.

“I clearly understand the anger of the youths because the company which provides power in the community has not provided power to the community in recent times.

The chairman, however, called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency- NOSDRA to intervene in the management of the spill incident.

When contacted for a reaction on the leak, Eni, the parent Company of NAOC in  a statement by a spokesperson confirmed the incident and regretted that its response since the incident  was hampered by denial of access by the host communities.

“Preliminary findings show that the event is a minor spill, estimated in less than two barrels and containment measures have been deployed.

“However, community disturbance linked to issues of land ownership involving multiple communities has been delaying our access to the area and therefore direct physical intervention.

“Regulators and authorities have been duly informed and we are continuing to engage the community to get access to the area,” Eni Management stated.