Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has described the raging crude oil spill in the Nembe Local Government Area of the state as the worst he had witnessed in his lifetime.
The OML 29 Well 1 platform, operated by Aiteo Exploration and Production Company Limited, has been spewing crude unabated into the Santa Barbara River since November1. An estimated two million barrels of crude has reportedly been spilled into the river, polluting the flora and fauna of the area.
The governor, who visited the spill site in the mangrove swamp on Wednesday in company of top government functionaries including the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr. Fred Agbedi, Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, among others, declared it was the worst environmental disaster and “worst than what happened in the Gulf of Mexico” in 2010.
His words: “Today happens to be a very dark day for me. What we have seen, I believe, is worse than what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. In all my life, I have not seen such magnitude of oil spillage. Our people are endangered. Our people’s source of livelihood is endangered. I empathise and sympathise with the people of Nembe on behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State.”
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dan Alabrah, Governor Diri who expressed shock over the quantity of crude that has been spilled into the environment, lamented that the continuous leakage has further endangered the lives of people of Nembe, Bayelsa and the Niger Delta.
Governor Diri urged the Federal Government of Nigeria and Aiteo, operator of the oil field to immediately take action to stop the spillage.
“I like to give you hope that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you. Your government will activate every constitutional means to arrest and redress this magnitude of oil spill. I therefore call on the Federal Government, the operators of the oil field, NNPC and AITEO to immediately look for a superior technical know-how to contain and stop the spread of the oil.
“For Bayelsa, the only thing we know how to do best is fishing. Today, our own fishing route is endangered. I equally call on the Federal Government to immediately react and ensure that our fishing route is safe”, he lamented.
He also decried the exclusion of indigenes of host communities in the running of the oil industry, regrettling that if indigenes were part of the operations of the oil field, they would have looked for ways to address the problem. To ameliorate the suffering of the people, the governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency and Ministry of Health to immediately provide relief materials and healthcare services to the people.
Speaking in the same vein, the chairman of Nembe Local Government Area, Hon. West Alalibo, and member representing Nembe Constituency II in the State House of Assembly, Edward Brigidi, thanked the governor for embarking on an on-the-spot assessment visit to the site.
According to the duo, the spill has caused water and environmental pollution, which is hazardous to the health of the people.
Chairman of Nembe Council of Chiefs, Chief Ekpeleyai Oruwari, who also lamented the massive environmental damage, appealed to government and the operators of the oil well to stop the spilling into their environment.
He stated that the spill has polluted their source of water and means of livelihood, adding that the people’s lives are in danger due to the polluted air and appealed for the provision of relief materials to ameliorate the suffering of the impacted community.