By Jimitota Onoyume
Odidi, a host community of OML, 42, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta, has protested over the oil spill in the area, urging the firm and other relevant agencies to quickly come to fix the problem.
They alleged that aquatic lives and their environment were being destroyed by the fast spreading crude oil spill, adding that they were even afraid of a likely fire explosion from the incident .
“We have lost fishes in our waters and plants in our farms. The crude oil spill has covered our water and even spread to our roads. This can ignite a fire “, one of them said
The community, which hosts oil operations within the OML 42 area, stormed the company’s operational facility on Friday, in a peaceful protest. The protesters led by the Secretary of the community , Mr. Clement Numa, and the Public Relations Officer, Comrade Konkemele Michael decried the alleged delay by the firm to fix the oil spill.
The protesters warned that unless the company urgently stopped the continuing discharge of crude oil and took immediate steps to contain the spill, they would be forced to shut down oil operations in the area
The community alleged that the spill, which they traced to an aged and corroded section of the Trans-Forcados Pipeline around the crude oil loading point at the Keremor manifold, has persisted for about six months, with large volumes of crude allegedly continuing to enter the surrounding waterways.
According to the protesters, the pollution has devastated fishing grounds and other traditional sources of livelihood, while residents are increasingly exposed to health and safety risks.
They also expressed concern that the continued presence of crude oil in the waterways could trigger a major fire outbreak, potentially resulting in catastrophic loss of lives and property.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the community’s PRO, Comrade Konkemele Michael, described the action as a warning to the Federal Government, the National Assembly and relevant regulatory agencies to intervene before the situation escalates.
“This is a warning visit and a peaceful protest for us to send the message across to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly and all regulatory bodies that we will commence drastic action if they do not stop further operations until they curtail the spill,” Michael said.
He alleged that the pollution had taken over the community’s waterways and displaced some residents, while others had reportedly been hospitalised.
“The oil pollution has taken over the entire community for the past six months and the entire river has been taken over,” he said.
Michael further described the incident as one of the most serious oil spills witnessed in the Niger Delta in recent years, accusing the company of continuing its normal operations despite the alleged environmental emergency.
He alleged that crude oil was still flowing from the affected point, raising fears of a possible fire outbreak.
The community leader also accused the oil firm operating in the area of allegedly attempting to address the crisis through selective distribution of relief materials rather than tackling the alleged source of the pollution.
He claimed that some residents had started leaving the community because of fears over the possibility of fire, while alleging that a local contractor engaged by the company had been using a wooden boat without making meaningful progress in containing the spill.
The Secretary of the Odidi Community, Mr. Numa, said the community was becoming increasingly frustrated by what he described as the failure to adequately contain the spill.
Numa questioned why oil production activities should continue while crude was allegedly still escaping into the environment.
“You cannot continue working when oil is still gushing out. The spill should be curtailed immediately,” he said.
According to him, oil spills are expected to be reported to the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) within the prescribed regulatory timeframe, while failure to comply attracts sanctions.
Numa argued that the community needed more than relief materials, insisting that the priority should be to stop the source of the pollution, recover the affected environment and protect residents.
He further accused the firm of allegedly exploiting divisions within the community by dealing selectively with individuals and groups.
The community secretary alleged that selected persons had received food items, including rice and vegetable oil, as well as undisclosed sums of money, which he claimed was being used to deflect attention from the environmental crisis.
“The company is trying to avoid the environmental crime being committed against Odidi people,” Numa alleged.
Residents and community leaders said the prolonged pollution had severely affected fishing activities, which remain a major source of income and food for households in the riverine community.
They called on the Federal Government, NOSDRA, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Delta State Government to urgently undertake a comprehensive investigation and remediation exercise.
The community also demanded medical intervention for residents allegedly exposed to the pollution, environmental impact assessment, restoration of contaminated waterways and transparent monitoring of the cleanup process.
The protesters maintained that their action was peaceful but warned that continued inaction could lead to a complete shutdown of oil operations in the area.
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