The gas explosion which occurred on Sunday in
Obotim Nsit village, Nsit Ibom Local Government
Area of Akwa Ibom State, left shocked villagers
with various degrees of injuries.
But by Tuesday, two days after the incident, the
victims were yet to receive medical attention. The
community only received drinks and cash worth
fifty-one thousand five hundred naira (one
hundred and sixty-three dollars only).
No help came from the local or state
governments, or Seven Energy International Ltd,
owner of the destroyed pipeline, a PREMIUM
TIMES’ reporter who visited the community
confirmed.
On Tuesday, the company’s representatives
merely presented two cartons of Malta Guinness
malt drink, two cartons of Star beer, and a gin to
the community. The drinks are worth N6, 500
(about $18).
The village head, Okon Ukpong, confirmed that the
community had not received anything before
Tuesday.
Seven Energy’s representatives declined to speak
to the PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter who met with
them at the scene of the explosion.
The company’s officials – three young men –
spoke with the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State
government, Etekamba Umoren, and the Special
Assistant on Security Matters to Governor Udom
Emmanuel, Iniobong Ekong, who also visited the
scene.
The pipeline explosion, which the militant group,
Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility
for, occurred around 11.30pm Sunday.
The impact of the blast – burnt palm trees,
destroyed cassava farms, razed economic trees –
could be seen within a 1,000 metres radius.
“I think those who doubt the effect of gas flaring,
should come and see this. This is less than 24
hours, and yet the impact is so enormous,” the
SSG, Mr. Umoren, said in a sad tone, as he
walked back to his car. “No amount of fertilizer
can help the soil here.”
Some residents of Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom,
which is about 20 kilometre from the explosion
scene, said they heard the sound of the explosion,
and saw thick ball of fire illuminate the skyline.
Justice Udousoro, a sports journalist who lives at
Obot Idim which is about five minutes’ drive from
Uyo city centre, said the explosion shook his
house and others around the neighbouring
villages. “I initially thought it was a plane crash,”
Mr. Udousoro said.
People living in Obotim Nsit village said they
thought the world had come to an end that night.
Terrified by the loud bang and ensuing fire, the
villagers said they fled into the bush, falling upon
trees and whatever objects stood on their path.
Some, including children, fell into pits and wells.
“Some of us ran naked into the bush. It was total
confusion,” said an aged woman, Emma Bassey.
“I am not sure there is any family which has not
suffered one injury or the other.”
Emmanuel Monday, a 35-year-old carpenter who
lives with his wife, Enobong, and five children, in
Obotim Nsit, said he almost lost his two-year old
girl, Joy, who ran out into the bush with others,
and fell into a freshly dug 9 -feet deep latrine in a
neigbouring compound.
“The fire was running towards our home, we all
thought that the world had come to an end,” said
Mr. Monday, whose house is more than 700
metres away from the scene. “There was intense
heat everywhere.”
Mr. Monday said he was able to grab only one of
his five children. Together, they ran through the
backdoor into the bush, while his wife grabbed
another and ran behind them. The other children
followed.
“We heard the cries of a baby near our house that
night, and we went into the bush to investigate
where it was coming from, and there we saw the
little girl inside the pit latrine,” said a middle-aged
woman who narrated how Mr. Monday’s daughter
was rescued.
Mr. Monday was alerted that his missing
daughter had been found, and he went over to
pick her. This was around 5am.
2 year-old Joy also fell into a pit latrine (Photo
Credit: Ubong Abasi Okon)
The little girl had been crying all day since the
incident, the parents said. They suspected she
may have sustained internal injuries.
“I don’t have money to take her to hospital,” the
father said. “I have bought paracetamol for her
because that’s what I could afford.”
Idongesit Okorie, a 45-year-old unemployed father
of five, suffered a similar fate. His three-year-old
granddaughter, Idorenyin, fell into about 8ft-deep
well, filled with water. Luckily, the child was
rescued quickly.
She too had not received any medical attention
as of Tuesday because the parents and the
grandparents could not afford money for the
hospital.
Mr. Okorie’s 10-year-old son, Iniewonghoabasi,
dazed by the explosion, ran as fast as he could
away from the village. He ran past two other
villages, before finally stopping at Afaha Ofiong
village where he was rescued and brought back
to the village.
“I know the injuries and the pains my family and I
have suffered because of what happened, I am
only looking up to God for help,” Mr. Okorie said.
“Nobody cares to know how we survived the
incident and how we are coping with our injuries.
Nobody has even told us anything about the
explosion.”
Malt and gin
Seven Energy owns a gas processing plant in
Uquo, Esit Eket Local Government Area, Akwa
Ibom State.
The company supplies gas to the 560 MW
Calabar National Integrated Power Project, Cross
River State, the Ibom Power Company, Akwa
Ibom, Notore Chemical Industries Limited and the
United Cement Company of Nigeria, in Calabar.
The company says it has invested over $1 billion
in the south east region of the Niger Delta in the
last 5 years.
The essence of its meeting with leaders of Obotim
Nsit was to plead with the community to allow
them repair the pipeline.
Seven Energy officials arrived the community on
Tuesday in a white Toyota Hilux truck with
registration number APP 986 AG, and a white Ford
truck, with registration number LND 19 XS.
As community leaders gathered, they presented
them with the drinks: malt, beer and gin.
The officials of the company soon became fidgety
when a PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter walked into the
meeting. An official who was counting some naira
notes, obviously meant for the community,
suddenly paused, while another walked up and
whispered to the village head.
The village head, Mr. Ukpong, halted proceedings
of the meeting and asked the reporter to
introduce himself. Convinced who the visitor was,
the chief politely asked the journalist to leave the
meeting.
“We are meeting today with the company, we will
meet with you tomorrow,” he assured.
But he immediately added: “But let me say it here,
that nobody from the local or state government
has visited this village since that incident
happened. We have not received any relief
material from the company (Seven Energy) or
government.”
Some locals at the meeting who protested the
decision to expel the reporter, could not change
anything. They had argued the community needed
an independent observer to help check whatever
Seven Energy was doing.
The village head, Mr. Ukpong, promised to get in
touch, but he has yet to do so.
Mum is the word
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the
headquarters of Seven Energy, Lagos, on
Wednesday, a staff in its media unit, who
identified herself only as Chioma, said the
company’s Senior manager, Administration and
Corporate Affairs, Patricia Akinlotan, would get
back to the reporter. The company did not revert.
The Akwa Ibom State government too has yet to
make an official statement on the gas explosion.
Mr. Idongesit Okorie, measuring the depth of the
well that his 3 years old daughter, Idorenyin, fell
into (Photo Credit: Ubong Abasi Okon)
The Commissioner for Information in the state,
Aniekan Umanah, referred PREMIUM TIMES to his
counterpart in the Ministry of Environment,
Iniobong Essien.
But Mr. Essien did not respond to phone calls and
text messages.
The youth leader of Obotim Nsit, Emmanuel
Wilson, told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday that
things went from bad to worse after the meeting
between Seven Energy and the community.
Mr. Wilson said in addition to the drinks, the
company gave the youth N15, 000, the village
council N15, 000, and the women N10, 000.
Mr. Wilson said Seven Energy refused to talk
about payment of compensation to the
community, and because of that the village head
went and placed a traditional injunction,
forbidding the company from entering the site.
“They (Seven Energy) went and brought soldiers
to the community to protect the site, there is so
much trouble now in the community. We need
help,” Mr. Wilson said.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/207755-nigerian-community-compensated-163-dollars-after-deadly-explosion.html

Akwa ibom ppl dem be mumu now, if like d entire ss was filled with akwa ibom people i no sure say by now dat 13percent derivation go dae.
Kudos to the ijaws in this, people just call u people names but dont know what u guys did for them

madenigga:
Akwa ibom ppl dem be mumu now, if like d entire ss was filled with akwa ibom people i no sure say by now dat 13percent derivation go dae.
Kudos to the ijaws in this, people just call u people names but dont know what u guys did for them

You must be the biggest f**l of the century and a stark illiterate. Who front the struggle for the 13% derivation.? I think I can guess your region from your statement and we know all your modus operandi. ((Hiding under the umbrella of SS and instigate war to actualize your evil plans).

hansyllo:



You must be the biggest f**l of the century and a stark illiterate. Who front the struggle for the 13% derivation.? I think I can guess your region from your statement and we know all your modus operandi. ((Hiding under the umbrella of SS and instigate war to actualize your evil plans).

U must be d biggesr f**l of the millenium you ludicrous illiterate.
Only a fool thinks of war when not even a gun shot is recquired.
I think i can guess your region from your statement and we know all your modus operandi. (Hiding under the umbrella of SS so as to mk sure the oppression continues, if its not u re destroying ur lands its Lagos now has oil).
For ur info Arrow am a full blooded Rivers man.

madenigga:

U must be d biggesr f**l of the millenium you ludicrous illiterate.
Only a fool thinks of war when not even a gun shot is recquired.
I think i can guess your region from your statement and we know all your modus operandi. (Hiding under the umbrella of SS so as to mk sure the oppression before, if its not u re destroying ur lands its Lagos now has oil).
For ur info Arrow am a full blooded Rivers man.

What is this f**l saying. I knew you will end up claiming SS. My frnd F-u-c-k out of here

hansyllo:



What is this f**l saying. I knew you will end up claiming SS. My frnd F-u-c-k out of here

Asif ur opinion matters, if it pains u go nd hit ur head on a concrete wall

madenigga:

Asif ur opinion matters, if it pains u go nd hit ur head on a concrete wall

D*ck head!!!! you've not answered my question. Who front the struggle for 13% derivation?
needless to ask cos I motor park tout like you wouldn't knw.