Oil spill has destroyed Aleto, Eteo communities’ source of water -Group

Health of Mother Health Foundation (HOMEF), has again decried the recent oil spills that ravaged Aleto and Eteo communities in Eleme Local Government of Rivers State, saying it has crippled farming and fishing activities in the area. HOMEF said the spills also destroyed the communities’ only source of potable water. HOMEF and members of Oilwatch Nigeria that paid visits to the two scenes recently for an on-the-spot assessment to ascertain the level of response and possiblecleanup of the affected environment, said it met the environment still in asorry situation as nothing is being done to salvage or clean the pollutions caused by the spills. A statement by HOMEF on Saturday signed by the Media and Communication Lead, Kome Odhomor, Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, expressed displeasure that the oil companies are neither decommissioning their aged infrastructure nor ensuring that their facilities are in good working condition. He regretted that rather than remediating the harm caused by their activities, more investments are being made by the oil companies to expand the areas of threat. Bassey further lamented that two months after the spill occurred, the companies have yet to respond and interface with the communities in any meaningful way. “It was heartbreaking to listen to the lamentation of the community women who now have no source of potable water and cannot process their cassava, a major staple due to the pollution of their stream. The insensitivity of the polluters andregulatory agencies is appalling. These atrocious incidents are also compounding the work of HYPREP. While the agency is working to cleansome areas, these polluting incidents are threatening to erase their efforts.” During the site visits, coordinator, Peoples Advancement Centre (PAC), and member Oilwatch Nigeria Celestine Akpobari, called on NOSDRA andother relevant agencies of government to do the needful and send reliefmaterials to the starving people immediately. “It is sad and very embarrassing that a spill of this magnitude at Eteo would happen in very close proximity to human habitation and the NPDC and the government ofNigeria carries on as if nothing has happened to the people. It is worse that the spill has affected the community’s only source of drinkingwater.  It is not enough to just sneak in at night to clamp the pipe, the right thing must be done.” While receiving the team of CSOs who visited his palace, His Royal Highness Emere Emmanuel T. Akobe the Paramount ruler of Eteo communityexpressed shock over the attitude of the NPDC saying, “Our beautiful stream is dead, my people don’t deserve this type of treatment and afterwe have brought the notice of the National Assembly, there is still noresponse from them, and my people continue to suffer the impact of thespill.” HOMEF reiterates that Aleto and Eteo communities and the entire Niger Delta must not be treated like disposable or sacrifice zones forprofit-seeking endeavours. NOSDRA should be more proactive in meeting thechallenging situations of oil spills in the region, while the polluting companies should urgently halt their polluting activities, clean uptheir spills, and pay compensation to affected individuals andcommunities. The CSOs also demanded that oil companies decommission all aged pipelines and facilities in the region in line with UNEPrecommendations in the assessment of the Ogoni environment.

Hold Shell accountable for Rivers’ oil spills, Oilwatch tells HYPREP  

Oilwatch Africa has called on the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to hold Shell Petroleum Company for recent oil spills in Rivers State. Oilwatch Africa is a civil society organization with a focus on the environment. According to a statement recently in Abuja by the CSO’s, Media and Communication Lead, Miss Kome Odhomor, two major oil spills within a week in Rivers State, is an indication that oil companies are yet to show seriousness about ensuring maintaining their facilities. “It is quite alarming that rather than remediating the harms, more investments are being made to expand the areas of threat. New investments in the fossil fuels sector and incessant new oil spills threaten to push the world into climate catastrophe and expose the wrongheaded pathway taken by nations when they gather at COPs for climate negotiations. “One oil spill was reported from a pipeline owned by Shell in Eteo community on June 13, 2023, while another occurred at Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, June 18, 2023, in Oke-Olebo stream which is the only source of fresh water for the community,” the statement reads. A member of the Oilwatch steering committee, Nnimmo Bassey, reacting to the spill said “We have always advocated for a cleaner environment and we charge the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to take into account the new oil spills that threaten to derail the ongoing cleanup process. Steps should be taken to ensure accountability by offending parties”. Oilwatch Africa Coordinator Salome Nduta expressed dissatisfaction over the action of oil companies in Nigeria and across Africa. He said, “Recently at the just concluded Africa Energy Summit held in the UK, it showed that Africa is not just a geographical location but it is also a cow that should be milked dry for the gains of her captors. Polluters should be held accountable for loss and damage inflicted on communities in Africa”. Oilwatch Africa called on the Nigerian government to take charge and ensure the proper clean-up of polluted sites as well as payment of compensation for damages suffered. “As a group, we further charge all African governments to invest in renewable energy taking into consideration the true cost of extraction which is causing more harm than good to her peoples,” the group said.