THE insecurity associated with renewed militancy in the Niger Delta has provided tacit cover for industry regulators to abdicate, with impunity, the obligation to respond promptly to the attendant pollution from the violent blowup of oil pipelines and sundry assets without attracting criticism from impacted communities. However, when on August 17, ten Gbaramatu communities in Warri South West council areas of Delta state noticed fresh crude oil spreading dangerously around them in atmosphere of the prevailing calm occasioned by weeks of ceasefire by the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups in the area, they did not hesitate to raise alarm. The alleged oil spillage on the NNPC/PPMC Escravos-Warri Trunkline reportedly ravaged Ikpokpo, Tebujor, Okpeleama, Opuede, Opude-Zion, Opuedebubor, Meka-Ama, Oto-Gbene, Atanba, and Okerenkoko-Gbene who feared “imminent humanitarian and environmental disaster” in absence of urgent intervention.

NNPC twisted response
In a vague, twisted response, NNPC in one breathe took responsibility to the extent that the incident was not caused by a third party while also concluding that the impact was such that could not be described as a spill, but a leakage from a product tank forced by a PPMC burst pipeline. NNPC spokesperson, Garba Deen Mohammed in a statement September 8 said, “The incident was not as a result of an attack. It was a mechanical fault that resulted in a burst in one of the tanks. The leakage has since been stopped, the incident has been reported to the relevant agencies, while a proper investigation is ongoing.” Mohammed also stated that immediately the incident occurred, the relevant personnel were mobilized to contain the leakage without any casualty and damage to the environment. Communities’ alarm, anger The communities were infuriated that Mohammed jumped to conclusions and the company took actions without having first put on the know industry regulators, particularly the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR among others who have responsibility to lead a Joint Investigation Visit, JIV, before conclusions could be drawn. They were further angered that the corporation’s statement trivialized a “large scale spill” that has ruined surrounding waters which support fishing, their economic mainstay. They consequently petitioned various quarters, including Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, NOSDRA and Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu for urgent intervention on the matter. In the joint petition to Kachikwu, dated 20th September through their solicitor, Eldridge Emekawovie, the communities noted that, “Crude oil has been gushing out from the ruptured point especially when pumped through the trunk line. “The crude has spilled into the communities with people suffocating from the gas content contained in the oil.

If urgent steps are not taken to arrest the situation, these communities may be engulfed by massive fire outbreak which may lead to death of innocent people.” The communities further accused NNPC-PPMC, alleged owners of the affected facility of refusing to cooperate with NOSDRA in JIV to ascertain nature of the spill and steps to prevent further spill and damages. In separate letter to the Director General, NOSDRA, the communities demanded that, “PPMC/NNPC be sanctioned for failing to report the spillage to the regulator as required by section 6 of the NOSDRA Act in carry out illegal clean up without the agency’s approval contrary to section 19 of the Act.” “NNPC/PPMC should be fined (N500,000.00) and One million naira (N1,000,000.00) respectively as contained in the NOSDRA Act for everyday of their violation from August 17, 2016 till when they comply with the law to deter other corporate monsters in the oil and gas industry like NNPC/PPMC.” They called on Dr. Kachikwu to prevail on the NNPC/PPMC management to take urgent steps to save their communities’ environment and the people. Eventual JIV hits brick-wall The initial date NOSDRA belatedly got all stakeholders to do a JIV coincided with the burial of late Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, father of wanted Ex-Militant, Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo and had to be shifted as entire Gbaramatu kingdom including the impacted communities celebrated the community leader in death. When eventually they went for the JIV September 26, the exercise was marred by the team’s failure to locate the exact spill point in the swamps. At the time of filing this report, the new date for a return visit had not been concluded according to Mr. Eric Omare, lawyer and Spokesman to the Ijaw Youth Council who is counsel to the aggrieved communities. NOSDRA’s sealed lips When contacted on the agency’s position and update over the matter, head at NOSDRA’s Zonal Office in Warri, Felicity Nwakwushue, retorted, “Why are you calling me. You press people are the ones who have been talking to the communities’ lawyer. Call Omare, he should give you update. Besides, I cannot just talk to you on phone. Anybody can claim he is Vanguard man, I have to know who I am talking to. Asked to give an appointment for a face to face chat, Nwakwushue added that, “I am not even in a position to talk. If you need NOSDRA’s position, call my Oga at the head office. That’s the normal practice to follow.”

However, Vanguard gathered from the community representatives over the inconclusive JIV that parties agreed that a follow up JIV be conducted while the polluters, NNPC/PPMC take steps to ameliorate the sufferings of the people. Omare in a statement added that, “The communities on that occasion expressed apprehension that they may suffer aggravated danger if further crude is pumped through the affected line and it was agreed with PPMC officials that pumping be suspended until the rupture is identified and repaired. Aggravated spill With the communities still in battle to seek redress on the incident, 12 communities in the same Gbaramatu locality reported spread of crude oil, alleging consequential dangers of gas suffocation to residents and indicating the polluters breach of the earlier agreement. In a recent letter addressed to the Managing Director of the NNPC, the communities jointly stated that, “In the early hours of Friday 30th September, crude oil was discovered gushing out from the ruptured trunkline when NNPC pumped through from the morning of Thursday 29th of September. “At the time of issuing this letter, there is massive spillage of crude oil which is already flowing around all the communities up to Oporoza federated communities, Gama-Zion community and into the Escravos River. “This is the third time this spillage is happening, anytime crude oil is pumped through the trunk line. We once again call on NNPC/PPMC to take far reaching steps to identify the ruptured point, stop further spillage and damage to the communities and also provide relief materials to cushion effect first on the short term.


SOURCE: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/gbaramatu-oil-spill-communities-battle-polluter-regulators-threat-lives/

Observing the situation

Tompolo and Co has been collecting gratifications in that issue. Let them deal with it.