PORT HARCOURT – The Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre has decried the devastating effects of oil spill in Ogoni community which disrupted farmlands, water collection, and livelihoods across the affected areas.
Mr Nsemeke Asanga, Spokesman for the centre, who made the remarks during an interview with journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, said that the affected community, B-Dere, in Ogoni, Rivers, had been polluted greatly.
Asanga disclosed that the Trans Niger pipeline had ruptured, releasing thousands of barrels of crude oil into residential areas, waterways, and farmlands within the community.
According to him, the incident marks the second time the pipeline rupture in the area within a two-month period.
He blamed the incident on the alleged neglect of aging oil and gas infrastructure in Ogoniland area.
He said that the latest oil spill on May 6 had catastrophic consequences, displacing over a hundred families and rendering their homes uninhabitable due to widespread crude oil contamination.
‘’Air quality has also been severely compromised, posing serious health risks, including respiratory irritation. Many families have been unable to cook for fear of fire outbreaks.
‘’Families living near the site have abandoned their homes. We are concerned that those affected will soon face food shortages and lack of basic supplies.
“Farmlands, critical to the community’s subsistence, have been polluted, destroying crops and fisheries,’’ he said.
According to him, resident reported that over 80 hectares of farmland have been impacted, affecting cassava, palm trees, and other essential crops.
Asanga, however, urged the government to act swiftly to assist the B-Dere community, adding that the Centre had recently dispatched a team to assess the extent of the damage and ongoing remediation efforts.
The team, he said, observed that the pipeline trench was inadequately backfilled and the remediation workers were simply covering the crude oil with sand.
According to him, this approach contravened international oil spill response standards, as trapped hydrocarbons in the soil risk contaminating groundwater and hinder effective remediation.
The Kebetkache’s spokesman condemned what he described as the continued neglect of B-Dere residents by the company operating the pipeline.
Asanga reported that community leaders had repeatedly reached out to the company for an explanation and dialogue over the spill but had received no response.
“The community wants to know the cause of the oil spill. They are demanding the company to disclose its clean-up plan and discuss compensation.
“This inaction is in violation of Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, which mandates cooperation with local stakeholders and regulatory bodies such as NOSDRA.
“The company’s refusal to engage has deepened mistrust and has left the community, particularly women, without a clear path to justice,” he added.
The Centre called on the government and relevant regulatory agencies to immediately halt the oil flow, undertake full remediation of the polluted environment, and provide compensation to the affected families for their losses. (NAN)
