The Rivers State House of Assembly has ordered immediate investigation of the petition brought before it against the activities of Agip oil company operations in Owube community in Ahoada West, Rivers State.


The lawmaker, representing Ahoada West Constituency, Mr Okpokiri Nwanaka Okpokiri submitted a three page petition asking the house to intervene in the deplorable situation of the people of Owube community as a result of intimidation, harasment and denial of to compensation for damages caused by oil spill/fire outbreak and gas leakage in Owube community in Ahoada West local government area of Rivers State.


The sponsor of the petition, Mr Okpokiri Nwanaka Okpokiri said that he was move by pain to bring to the notice the dehumanisation, harassment, impunity and pains that NAOC has brought to the people of Owube community.


On the part of the petitional, Mr Endurance Moses, Community Development Chairman of Owube community stated in the petition that "On the 23rd day of August, 2015, an oil spillage occurred at Ebucha/Rumuekpe/Ogoda pipeline belonging to NAOC in Owube community. About 6:15pm, NAOC team and the surveillance supervisor, Mr Gowon Okoko arrived the community, promising that they will come on the 24th August 2015, for inspection, dialogue and clamping. So on the 24th August, NAOC team, soldiers NSCDC, NOSDRA, representative DPR and the ministry of Environment arrived the community and they ordered the community elders to meet with them at the outskirt of Owube community.


The petition also demands that adequate compesation should be given, such as; Relief materials to support the Owube community, compensation for damage caused oil spill 23rd August, 2015, compensation for trauma suffered from intimidation and harassment by NAOC team soldiers and other mention in the letter, compensation for damage caused by gas leakage on 11th July, 2015, confirmed system failure and sitting project in Owube community by NAOC.


Adding that "The next day, after excavation of the spill point, NAOC team invited the entire agency and the community for inspection but no avail these bodies refused invitation to the spill point demanding that NAOC must shutdown tbejr system for proper inspection exercise. But the NAOC said no, that they will employ  a 'Stick and mirror' approach to block the pressure point (spill point) which the statutory bodies said no that its improper inspection"


"Therefore no inspectionbwas made on what might caused the spill, this led to the arrest of Mr Gowon Okoko for rejecting the insinuation which the NAOC team leader made that it was sabotage to system failure. Immediately a soldier brought a blank sheet that I should sign and I have to sign under duress".


In his rulling the Speaker of the house, Mr. Ikuinyi Owaji-Ibani directed the committee in-charge of Ethics and Petitions headed by Hon. Evans Bipi and report back to the house within two weeks.

Source... http://newsspot-ng..nl/2015/11/rivers-state-house-of-assembly-orders.html?m=1

are they still functioning after being sacked by the tribunal?

So the tribunal fail to send bulldozer to bring down that house?
OK Agip take note.