Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom on Wednesday advised ExxonMobil to undertake holistic appraisal of its pipelines to guard against incessant oil spill in the state.
Akpabio gave the advice in Uyo when the General Manager, Public & Governmental Affairs, ExxonMobil, Mr Paul Arinze, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House.
The governor said that routine checks on oil pipelines would stabilise the operations of the oil company and prevent environmental degradation in oil producing communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that an estimated 200 barrels of oil were reportedly spilled through ruptured oil pipelines which affected communities in Ibeno, Esit Eket and Eastern Obolo on Friday.
Akpabio emphasised the need for ExxonMobil to continually perform its corporate social responsibilities to its host communities and to see the yearnings of the communities as priority in its decision-making processes.
He said that the state government was ready to partner with ExxonMobil in the construction of a dual carriageway from Eket to Ibeno and leading to Qua Iboe terminal, the operational base of ExxonMobil.
Akpabio assured the company that his administration would continue to create the enabling environment for it to carry out its operations.
He said that Akwa Ibom people would always support ExxonMobil as a major contributor to the economy of the state.
Earlier, Arinze thanked the government and people of Akwa Ibom for supporting the company and said that N2 billion development projects built by the company in its host communities were ready for inauguration.
Arinze said the company planned to build a trauma centre at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Uyo, and promised that action would soon be taken to cushion the effects of last week’s oil spill in the affected communities.
NAN reports that the people of Ine community in Esit Eket Local Government Area of the state had staged a peaceful protest over the devastation of their farmlands and fishing ports due to oil spills. (NAN)