Oil Spill: 34 Gbaramatu Communities Give NNPC/NSPC 7-Day Ultimatum To Pay Compensation, Provide Relief Items, Clean Up Impacted Areas

Oil bunkering in Nigeria

Thirty-four communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State have given the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigeria Pipeline Storage Company (NSPC, but formerly PPMC) a seven-day ultimatum to clean up the communities affected by 17 August PPMC trunk line crude oil spillage, provide relief items and pay adequate compensation. The demands were made in a statement issued by the impacted communities.

The statement recalled a letter by the communities to the NNPC Group Managing Director and NSPC Managing Director. Jointly signed by Johnbull Demebi, Edward Odudu and Moses Bebenimibo, the statement dated 26 October, listed the communities as including 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, and Ibanfa. Others are, Igoba, Kunukunuama, Pepeama, Kurutie, Jaghala, Okerenkoko, Egwa, Bikumor, Sarabubowei, Benikrukru, Kokodiagbene, Kantu, Bebebopre Zion, Olukperebu, Oburu, Ogbotu-Gbene, and Seitorsububor.

The communities stated that a joint investigation visit (JIV) was concluded on 17 October, 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.                                                                        

At the meeting, said the communities, it was unanimously agreed that the cause of the oil spillage, which lasted for two months, was equipment failure at a welding joint beneath the pipeline.                                   "This unanimous agreement led to the communities giving permission to NNPC/NPSC to go ahead with the repair work to enable them to pump crude oil from the Escravos terminal to Warri Refinery," said the statement.

However, the communities claimed, immediately after the repair work on the trunk line was done, NNPC/NPSC officials in Warri, who had agreed that the cause of the spillage was equipment failure, announced that they had instructions from Abuja not to accept the cause of the spill as equipment failure, but to subject the pipeline to further forensic analysis.                                                

The ruptured pipeline disclosed the statement, has been taken away for the forensic analysis by NNPC/NPSC without the involvement of NOSDRA, Ministry of environment and community representatives, a development considered provocative.

"It 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 approved 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 reasoned.

On account of this, the communities, within seven days, want a clean-up the impacted communities, relief materials as well as adequate and fair compensation to the people. The statement also have a form warning in the event of default: "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."