Rotary Club seeks remediation of Nigeria’s first oil well community in Bayelsa

Nathan Tamarapreye, Uyo

The Rotary Club of Port-Harcourt Eco chapter has advocated remediation of Otuabagi community hosting Oloibiri oilfields, in Ogbia, Bayelsa, where oil was first discovered in commercial quantities in 1956.

The Eco chapter of the Rotary Club devoted to environmental conservation and protection as part of its advocacy held engagements with representatives of the community on Saturday to draw attention to the adverse environmental effects after oil production stopped decades ago.

Mr Iniruo Wills, who represented the President elect of the Port Harcourt Eco chapter of Rotary, Mr Davies Okarevu said the chapter was formed to focus on the Environment and the Ecosystem.

He said the Eco chapter founded about two years ago is the first in Nigeria and second in Africa are second in Africa with a unique focus on the needs of man and his natural surroundings.

Wills, a former Commissioner for Environment in Bayelsa, said they have come to Otuabagi, where oil exploration which has become the pride of the nation started to take stock of its negative impact and draw attention to it and the need for remediation.

He said oil exploration had stopped over 30 years ago, but residual oil leakages still pollute the surrounding when it rains and subjects residents to untold hardships as the oil firm abandoned the area with no measures to mitigate leaks from the ‘dry wells’.

He called on the federal government and the oil industry to be responsive to the plight of people in oil-bearing communities especially when the oil wells dry up.

Speaking at the event, Dr Bieye Briggs, Public Health Physician, noted that although crude oil extraction stopped over 30 years ago, crude is still oozing out from the wellhead to pollute the environment.

He said the people are in great danger as aquatic lives including fishes and shrimps are being destroyed and even those that survived are very harmful to human health when consumed.

“Those hydrocarbons discharged have been concentrated within the aquatic space and contaminate the fauna and flora and they become poisonous to human lives.

“That is why within a period of 10 to 15 years you begin to see cancers, kidney diseases, liver problems, lungs and respiratory disorders, because of the oil pollution in the environment,” he said

The medical practitioner said the residual oil leakages also affect the underground waters, which the people also depend on for survival as they consumed them.

He said that community people also reported that they often found oily sediments floating on their stream which is their only source for drinking and domestic purposes.

In her remarks, Mrs Emem Okon, a former President of the club, said the people of Otuabagi, have been neglected for years by the oil and gas sector.

She said the land and the plants are affected for years and that Shell has sold the place to Aiteo and that the federal government should know that the people are living with oil pollution.

Mr Davies Okarevu, President of PH plus -Eco Rotary, said the rotary club called on the people to join the rotary club, to contribute to humanitarian endeavours for the betterment of society.

He said the rotary club is all about giving back to society and getting a sense of accomplishment in contributing to human progress.

Chief Joseph Erefa, Acting Chairman Council of Chiefs, Otuobagi in his response noted that the people have been neglected for decades and schemed out because of oil politics.

He called on the federal government and the oil firms to reconsider their stance on the area as the ‘goose that lays the golden egg’ and brings social amenities to alleviate the suffering of the people.

The delegation also visited Oil 1 and 2, known as Oloibiri oilfields within Oil Mining Lease 29 previously operated by Shell Development Company SPDC.

It will be recalled that SPDC had in 2015 divested its interests in OML 29 which includes the 97-kilometre Nembe Creek Trunkline that links the Bonny Export Terminal to indigenous operator Aiteo for $2.4 bn

*Members of the Port Harcourt Eco Rotary Club at the Oloibiri Oil Well 1, the first oil well in Nigeria located at Otuabagi Community, Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa.