Rivers community laments oil spill, calls for govt intervention

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Indigenes of Bodo community in Gokhana Council of Rivers State have lamented effects of oil spillage in the area. Community members blamed their woes on failed facilities owned and managed by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

One of the residents, who spoke on behalf of youths, Richard Giadom, said the community had been living in fear of a possible fire outbreak, while some were already experiencing health-related issues, as a result of the spills.

He said: “We are having severe heart problems, it is causing us short-sightedness because the place is very hot early in the morning. And our women’s nostrils, chests and stomach are very hot due to inhalation of gas. It is very dangerous and we are scared to cook for fear of fire outbreak because the air is saturated with gas. 

“We are calling on you to please come and rescue us because we are dying of hunger and every means of livelihood has been grounded.”

An environmental activist, Douglas Fabeke, reiterated that the spill in Bodo community, which was first reported on August 2, and the latest, which occurred on August 24, are results of Shell activities. 

Fabeke, who is the President of Ogoni Liberation Initiative (ILO) condemned the spill in its entirety, adding that the incident would not have occurred if the SPDC, Hydro Carbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the Ministry of Environment had carried out proper and comprehensive cleanup of Ogoni land in line with the recommendation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) as contained in the UNEP Report.

He said: “We condemn this spill in its entirety and state that this incident would not have occurred if Shell and HYPREP and the Ministry of Environment have carried out a proper cleanup in Ogoniland in line with recommendations of UNEP. It is worrisome to note that this spill is occurring 11 years after UNEP published report exposing the SPDC to be responsible for the pollution and the devastation of the Ogoni environment after several years of oil exploration without benefit to the people.”

The protesters, mostly farmers and fishermen, pleaded with the federal and state government to come to their aid.