Rivers State House of Assembly has constituted a seven-man Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the cause of an oil spill in Aleto community in Eleme local council of the state.

Inaugurating the committee, the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, urged the members to thoroughly investigate the remote cause of the spill and report to the House within three weeks.

The move was in response to a Save Our Soul (SOS) petition from Igwe Aforji, the member representing Eleme State Constituency, concerning an oil spill that occurred at Edemaku community in Aleto, on June 12.

Reacting to the petition, the speaker noted that based on its urgency, the House had to form an ad hoc committee chaired by the deputy speaker, Dumle Maol, to investigate the activities of oil multinationals in the area to forestall a future occurrence.

The petition titled, ‘Save Our Soul: A Call to Order on Shell Petroleum Development Company Plc, Over its Nonchalant Disposition Towards Oil Spillage at Aleto Community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State,’ was read on the floor of the House by Aforji. Gomba Osaro, Ebie Nwoke, Nwosu Ngofa and Propero Osaro signed it.

The petitioners urged the lawmakers to order Shell to take urgent steps to contain the spill.

They also urged the lawmakers to as a matter of urgency summon Shell to appear before them to offer explanations concerning the oil spill.

They also implored the lawmakers to direct the company to send relief materials to Aleto community.

The petition reads in part: “It is with a heavy heart that we bring this petition occasioned by the attitudinal disposition of Shell Petroleum Development Company Plc with regard to the spillage at Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area.

“It is common knowledge that an oil spillage occurred on the Shell Petroleum Development Company pipeline’s right of way Eleme Zone 2 owing to total equipment failure due to poor mechanical procedure on the part of the company since Monday, 12th June 2023. It is observed that a welded joint on the pipe was compromised with poor standard carbon steel material of 1.2mm as against a 28-inch pipe of about schedule 80.

“Absolutely, nothing has been done up to this moment by the company to contain or stop the raging spill. Aleto community, and by extension, the entire Eleme Local Government Area is sitting on a keg of gunpowder as there is a potential danger that the spill could ignite and engulf the entire community as Shell Petroleum Development Company stand aloof and watch while the spill spreads further.”