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By: Ifeanyi Izeze
Is there any government in Bayelsa state at all? This is the question that we must first answer so as to know how to place in proper context the callous and unchecked devastation of the state’s fragile environment by unbridled spate of crude oil spills. This is not politics at all and has nothing to do with politics. So nobody should get it mixed up. It’s all about the deprived and battered people of Bayelsa especially those in the affected areas.
If the spillages were caused by activities of crude oil thieves which both the Bayelsa state government and Nigerian Agip Oil Company preferred to conveniently tag “third parties,” the question is: these “third parties” are they ghosts? Are they not Bayelsa indigenes that live and work among the people? What has the Bayelsa state government done to check these embarrassing activities of miscreants who are inflicting in most areas technically irreversible and irreparable damage to the only source of livelihood of majority of the people? Why is it so difficult for the Bayelsa state government to reach out to them (because they know them) either to convert them from this operation of the kingdom of darkness to decent living by peaceful means or by outrightly confronting and matching them with force?
Whether anybody wants to hear this or not, those puncturing crude oil pipelines in the state are Ijaws and natives of Bayelsa at least those operating within the state as it would be far easier for a whole cow to pass through the eye of a needle than for a stranger (who is not Ijaw) to enter Ijaw communities to tap crude oil for days/weeks/months without the locals confronting him. It is alright to pretend the problem is not as grave as painted but the truth is that the nonchalance of our today leaders in government and even in the communities will be dearly paid for tomorrow by our people including children yet unborn.
Now, should Agip refuse to clamp the leakages from its facilities to curtail the extent of devastation simply because it was not the company’s fault? How else can anybody explain that for months now, a responsible international oil company, like Nigerian Agip, a subsidiary of the Italy giant energy giant, ENI, is yet to respond to series of massive oil spills from its facilities in several locations across the state if not to say that the company is just callous and outrightly irresponsible?
The sore point is the Kalaba area of Yenagoa local government area of the state. Why is Agip delaying in responding to spill incidents especially when there is no security or accessibility issue from the affected communities? On daily basis the scale of this continued discharge of crude oil into the Kalaba area continues to expand into the adjourning farmlands and surrounding waters. So what is stopping the company from taking immediate steps to stop the spill by going to the site to effect clamping? Nobody is even talking of clean-up now.
It was since January 12 that the community reported the massive spillage in Kalaba Community, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa from a facility in an oil field operated by Agip. And now over a month since the incident was noticed and reported to the company, neither a joint initial site investigation nor an iota of effort to stop the discharge has been made by the Italian company.
This has always been the attitude of the foreign IOCs operating across the Niger Delta as they always believe that with the cooperation of corrupt DPR, NNPC and even some state government officials the companies can just conduct themselves in manners that would have otherwise be described elsewhere as criminal and outrightly dishounourable.
If traditional rulers, chiefs, youth leaders, women leaders of the affected area, and even NGOs have all appealed to Agip to at least go to the site of the spill and stop the continued discharge, is it when God comes down that the Italian company would hear and realise the seriousness of the damage the crude oil spillage is causing to the affected areas?
According to the Paramount ruler of the community, Chief Roman Orukali, as reported, “The spill occurred on January 12, and Agip was promptly informed same day. The company came to see the spill- point the next day, January 13, but it is surprising to see that Agip has failed to return and stop the spill while crude oil has continued to spread in the environment.”
This same community also suffered similar fate last September (2014), when two massive spills occurred in the area within three weeks.
Also on March 21 last year spilled crude oil from three ruptured spots was reported at Agip’s facility in Ikarama community, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Two of the ruptures spilled crude oil while the third ruptured spilled gas and devastated wide areas of land and surface water environments. A field report by Environmental Rights Action/Friends of Earth Nigeria, said this particular spill occurred on two different pipelines within the oil field operated by Agip in the area.
Elsewhere in Bayelsa, on Monday 17 February, 2014, a massive spill was reported from Agip’s Ogoda/Brass pipeline at Okoroba community in Nembe council area of Bayelsa. The community accused Agip that the oil firm has refused to replace the aged pipeline installed in the 1970s after its 30 year life span elapsed.
Is it not curious that within the last few months, Agip alone recorded scores of oil spill incidents from its facilities few of which include, spills in Okpoama and Odiama communities, when an estimated 224.55 barrels of crude was spilled from the SBM SIRIUS (off shore Brass) facility; A leakage at Idu Well 3, located in Egbebiri area of Biseni; spillage in Izagara and Agum clans of Okoroba community of Nembe Local Government which led to the displacement of indigenes of the affected communities. Haba! This is a state that has a government and a chief security officer in place!
If Ikarama and Kalaba communities have been identified as the two areas that have witnessed more crude oil spills as a result of “third party” activities than any other oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region, what has the Bayelsa state government or the Italian oil company done to beef –up security of the pipelines, wellheads and other production facilities in these areas? You see? You know that thieves like to visit your shop, and then on your own you make their stealing easier by not always locking up properly. Are you not a suspect in the robbery incidents?
It would be recalled that The House of Representatives in May last year set out to probe the spate of cases of oil spills and pollution traced to NAOC)n Bayelsa.
The resolution of the House to investigate NAOC operations with a view to unravel the causes of incessant spillage and displacement of communities in Bayelsa State, was premised on the established nonchalance of the company towards security and safety of its facility and response to its “curious” response to oil spillage distress calls. But what happened to that probe could best be described as blurred and at worst obscured.
What happened to the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategy pilot project that was initiated in May, 2014 with a view to addressing oil spills caused by ‘third party’ pipeline vandalism in Bayelsa state?
The DRR pilot project was supposed to be a collaborative effort between the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other critical stakeholders in the oil industry (Shell and Agip inclusive), representatives of the two pilot communities (Ikarama and Kalaba), Civil Society organizations and the media.
A follow-up meeting was held on 22nd July, 2014 at the Ministry of Environment Conference Hall (Bayelsa State) to chart the way forward.
Regrettably, if any progress has been made at all on this initiative since last year, it remains at best obscured and at worst blurred as this dastardly act has continued unabated. Where are the relevant agencies of government including: National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Bayelsa State and Federal Ministries of Environment, and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to enforce Agip’s compliance with existing environmental laws? A country of absurdities!
(IFEANYI IZEZE is an Abuja-based Consultant and can be reached on: iizeze@yahoo.com; 234-8033043009)