Mr Alagoa Morris, an Environmentalist has written a protest letter to
Governor Seriake Dickson, deploring the poor response to oil pollution
incidents in Bayelsa.
The environmental rights activist in the letter availed to newsmen on
Sunday lamented the state government's loud silence on the lingering oil spillage
incident at Yiba-Ama community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
Morris, who is also the project officer and head of Environmental Rights
Action Niger Delta Resource Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa regretted that proceeds
from oil derivation accruing to the states were not being channelled to
conservation.
The letter, dated May 31, 2017 and titled, "A Case of Gross
Negligence, Brazen Act of Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI) and
Environmental Terrorism Against Shell Petroleum Development Company
(SPDC)".
The letter was routed through the office of the Commissioner for
Environment to Dickson.
It was also copied to the Speaker
of the House of Assembly and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice
of the state.
The oil occurred in June 2015
from SPDC's 20-inch Rumuekpe-Kolo Creek Trunkline at Odau community in
Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers, and flowed to Yiba-Ama, a border
community in Bayelsa.
Morris said that ERA/FoEN had visited the impacted sites six times where
swamps, ponds and the general environment of the community had been destroyed.
According to him, SPDC had been
allegedly foot-dragging to commence clean-up of the area for the past two years
despite public outcry.
"The owner of the oil facility, SPDC, has continued to shirk its
responsibility to effect containment, clean-up and remediation of the impacted
sites.
"Shell has done nothing,
practically nothing whatsoever, about this nagging issue which has serious
implications on the well being of the environment, health and livelihood of the
people of Yiba-Ama community and, by extension, Bayelsa State.
"Other communities along the
Kolo Creek are potential victims as the soluble (toxic) elements flow freely
downstream via the natural water channels in the impacted swamps of Yiba-Ama
community to the Kolo Creek", he stated.
The activist said that "SPDC's action
squarely fits into such definition of environmental terrorism/environmental
racism".
He added that the company "has not visited the impacted sites at
Yiba-Ama even once to assess the level of spread and volume of crude oil in the
environment".
He urged the governor, who on 27 February, 2012 at Koluama II Town Hall,
referred to multinational companies as
"environmental terrorists" and vowed not to take their negative
practices and negligence to communities lightly.
"No matter the cause of
spill, facility owners have the responsibility to effect containment (to
prevent spread), recovery of spilled crude oil, clean-up and remediate impacted
environment (as the specific incident may be).
"Your Excellency, we wish to
conclude by saying that the people of Yiba-Ama are not only peace-loving folks;
they are not engaged in any form of bunkering activities within the
environment", Morris added.
However,SPDC spokesperson Mr. Joseph Obari, said that the affected
community denied the oil company access to the spillage site which delayed its
response..
‘’The clean-up and remediation of
the impacted creek in Oruma (Yiba-Ama) community was not completed until April
2017, because the community denied our Oil Spill Response Team access to the
spill site.
‘’The denial of access was despite several engagements of leaders of the
community.’’ Obari said.
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