The Imiringi community in Bayelsa has commended an NGO, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), for campaigning against the laying of gas pipelines on the surface of the Kolo River by Shell Petroleum Development Company.
The spokesperson of the community, Rev Ranami Afagha, gave the commendation in an interview in Imiringi, Ogbia Local Government Area on Sunday.
Afagha also commended the media for bringing to the fore the community’s opposition of the project, saying that the advocacy forced Shell to remove the pipelines and lay them underwater.
It will be recalled that Shell in February 2016 laid its Kolo Creek-Soku gas pipelines on the surface of Kolo River.
The blockage hindered the people from navigating the river and fishing in it, a situation that resulted in the wide condemnation of the project.
In response to the people’s agitation, the Anglo-Dutch oil company removed the pipes from the water surface and buried them underwater.
The spokesperson said that laying the pipes underwater had enabled the people to freely navigate and fish in the river.
“Last year, Shell awarded a contract for the construction of a gas pipeline from Koko Creek to Soku in Rivers State to a company called Nestoil.
“Unfortunately, rather than burying the pipes under the water, the company decided to run the gas pipeline across the surface of the river.
“ This caused a lot of problems for us.
“We complained to Shell and its contractors to no avail. In November 2016, ERA/FoEN commenced advocacy for the removal of the pipes on our behalf.
“The advocacy and the media coverage have yielded a positive result. The company has corrected its mistake.
“We appreciate the support of the NGO and the media in publicising the anomaly and having it corrected,” he said.
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