Again, Oil spill rocks Bayelsa community

Okpoama, a community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State recorded a fresh oil spill on Wednesday.

It was gathered the oilfield located close to the community is reportedly owned by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC.

A community source, Maxwell Ikoni who briefed reporters said the spill was reported by a fisherman on Monday when he discovered a leakage on the wellhead that had been in existence for decades.

“The volume of the spill is not much now, but expected to increase in the coming days,” he said.

“the well has long been dilapidated and the leakage of gas and oil is increasing gradually as we speak.”

When contacted, Engr Seiyefa Felix Ben-Basuo, President of the Okpoama Kingdom Youth Movement called on the NPDC and relevant government bodies to quickly intervene, adding that residents are already being affected by the spillage.

“You know how dangerous such pollutants are to human lives and the environment and we cannot afford to endure this spill for more days.

“Our people are already suffering from ongoing petroleum exploration and exploitation activities in the area, therefore we will not condone pollution caused by a facility that is not in use for now,” he said.

Also, the Programme Manager, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Comrade Alagoa Morris has called for a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site.

He said the visit will comprise the facility operator, regulators, community representatives and security agencies.

“If the owner of the facility is aware, then the regulators also need to be aware. They should be officially informed by the facility owner or operator. The community should also be on alert to monitor the process,” the activist said.

Confirming the incident, a staff of NPDC who does not want his name on print said the company was already aware of the spill and is preparing to mobilize to the location.

However, efforts to get comment from the Bayelsa State Director of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) proved abortive.

Recall, several spill cases have been recorded among communities in the area in recent times.