Over 34 communities in the coastal area of Warri South-West Local
Government Area of Delta state, has jointly slammed the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, a 7-days ultimatum to accede to their demands
or risk the shut down of Escravos Crude Truck Line which supplies products
to the Warri refinery.
The Ijaw communities have been battling the Nigeria Pipeline Storage
Company (NPSC) formerly PPMC, a subsidairy of NNPC over the August 17,
2016 massive crude oil spill which NNPC has earlier acknowledged as
resulting from its facility failure.
The ultimatum is coming a day before leaders of the Niger Delta region
would be at the Presidential Villa to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari
on how to stop militancy, pipeline vandalism and chant a way forward for
the region.
The communities which accuses NNPC of playing hanky-panky game over the
spill, lamented that the spillage have caused the people grave pains and
sorrow as they could no long carry out fishing and farming, a predominant
occupation in the area or enjoy the fauna and flora of their environment.
Issuing the ultimatum on Sunday, the communities in a statement signed by
Messer Johnbull Demebi, Edward Odudu and Chief Moses Bebenimibo, berated
the corporation for its sudden u-turn on the cause of the oil spill,
threatening that if NNPC fails to comply with its demands to clean-up the
impacted communities, provide relief materials and pay adequate and fair
compensation to the communities and people, they will be left with no
other option than to shut down the Escravos truck line.
The affected communities are; Ikpokpo, Tejubor, Okpelema, Opuede,
Opuede-Zion, Opuedebubor, Meka-Ama, Oto-Gbene, New Jerusalem Zion,
Mala-Gbene, Atanba, Okerenkoko-Gbene, Oporoza federated communities,
Gama-Zion, Azama, Inikorogha, Ibanfa, Igoba, Kunukunuama, Pepeama,
Kurutie, Jaghala, Okerenkoko, Egwa, Bikumor, Sarabubowei, Benikrukru,
Kokodiagbene, Kantu, Bebebopre Zion, Olukperebu, Oburu, Ogbotu-Gbene and
Seitorsububor Communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom.
According to the communities, in a letter to the Group Managing Director
of NNPC and Managing Director of the Nigeria Pipeline Storage Company
(NPSC) formerly PPMC, dated the 26th of October, 2016, the joint
investigation visit (JIV) on the spill site was concluded on Monday 17th
of October, 2016 with representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection
and Response Agency (NOSDRA), NNPC/NPSC, Ministry of Environment, NNPC
surveillance contractor (OMS) and communities affected in attendance.
Giving a graphic details of what led to the ultimatum, the communities
said, it was unanimously agreed by all parties concerned at the conclusion
of the JIV that the cause of the massive oil spillage which lasted for two
months was as a result of equipment failure at 6 o’clock (beneath the
pipeline) at a welding joint.
They stated that the Spokesman of NNPC, Garba Deen Mohammed had confirmed
this position earlier on September 8, 2016 in an online report.
“This unanimous agreement led to the communities giving permission to
NNPC/NPSC to go ahead with the repair work to enable them pump crude oil
from the Escravos terminal to Warri Refinery.
“However, to the surprise of the communities immediately after the repair
work on the trunk line was done, NNPC/NPSC officials in Warri who had
earlier agreed that the cause of the spillage was equipment failure made a
complete turn around and claimed that they have instruction from Abuja not
to accept the cause of the spill as equipment failure for now and subject
the pipeline to further forensic analysis.
The ruptured pipeline has been taken away for the so called forensic
analysis by NNPC/NPSC without the involvement of NOSDRA, Ministry of
environment and community representatives, they alleged.
They however described as “insulting and provocative for a spiller” like
the NNPC/NPSC to refuse to accept the cause of an oil spill that has been
determined and accepted by the regulators – NOSDRA and the Ministry of
Environment.
“NNPC/NPSC is only interested in pumping crude oil through the trunk line
whereas the affected communities are in pains and sorrow with more
communities affected by the spill because of the deliberate and willful
refusal of NNPC to clean up the impacted communities and curtain further
spread.
“The communities in the light of the foregoing have given the NNPC/NPSC
(PPMC), seven days ultimatum to clean-up the impacted communities, provide
relief materials and pay adequate and fair compensation to the communities
and people.
“If NNPC/NPSC fails to comply with our demands within seven days, we would
have no other option than to shut down the Escravos to Warri trunk line
until our demands are met”, they threatened.