Bayelsa community kicks against passing pipelines on water surface

The Imiringi community in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa has complained that the gas pipeline passing across the surface of Kolo Creek will hinder water transportation in the area. Some of the residents expressed their feelings at Imiringi regretted that the pipeline hadadversely affected the economic rights of the people and sought social justice as the economic interest of the people were being adversely affected. According to them, the creek is an important transportation channel in the area and the pipeline disrupts the movement of fishermen, farmers and other residents in the area. They urged the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) which executes the project to lay the pipes under water to enable them to navigate the creek. Mrs Banawa Eyeka, a 50-year-old peasant farmer said, “we can no longer pass through some areas in the creek with our canoes due to the pipes that run across thesurface. “It is affecting those who have farms beyond that point; they can no longer go to their farms to harvest crops.’’ Another farmer, Mrs Kolege Albert, said “the crossing of the pipes is giving us great concern. Before now, we used to paddle our canoe beyond that point to our farms. “But that is no longer possible due to the way Shell passed the pipes across the river. “We are appealing that the company returns to lay the pipes on the bed of the river so that we can have thoroughfare. “We cannot pass that place with our canoe as it is currently.’’ Chief Ranami Afagha, the President of Ranami Afagha Foundation, Imiringi, said that the situation had adversely affected the people and urged SPDC to pass the pipes under water. “Recently Shell awarded a contract to Nestoil for the construction of gas pipelines from Koko Creek to Soku in Rivers State. “Unfortunately, the pipelines are designed to cross this creek. But the crossing could be done in another way. The pipes should have been laid underneath. “When flood occurred in the past the whole of this creek was blocked because of the pipelines. “Now that it is dry season, women cannot even navigate their canoe across that section of the creek because of the pipes. “This small creek is where most of our men and women come for fishing to sustain their families,” he said. Mr Precious Okolobo, SPDC’s Media Relations Manager declined comments on the matter.