Over Six Months Oil Spill Leaves Riverine Communities Without Food, Water
Almost seven months after crude oil began leaking into their waterways, residents of Odidi, Kantu and Keremor communities in Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State, say the prolonged pollution has turned their traditional sources of food, water and income into a health and humanitarian crisis.
The crisis has now claimed a life, with a 68-year-old fisherwoman, Evelyn Atete Zuku, popularly known as Mama Terry, reportedly dying after slipping on crude-oil-stained wooden jetty while returning from fishing.
Her son, Terry Ogisi, said Zuku, a mother of seven, was taken to several hospitals after she sustained a head injury, but died on September 3. She had been scheduled for an N8 million surgery.
Residents who protested at the Keremor Manifold on Saturday, said the February 19 spill from the Trans-Forcados trunkline, operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, had destroyed fishing grounds, polluted waterways and left families struggling for food and safe water.
Odidi community chairman, Truston Gbenekama, said the relief materials provided so far were grossly inadequate for a community of more than 1,000 people.
“How can you give a full-fledged community of over 1,000 persons four bags of rice, two bags of garri, two goats? It's insufficient,” he said.
A fisherwoman Mary Ekpenu said she could no longer fish because of the pollution, adding that crude oil had destroyed fishing nets and made it difficult for families to cook.
“When the water was clear, there was suffering, now with oil on the water, the suffering is worse. Oil wants to kill us, we cannot put on fire, we cannot fish,” she lamented.
Community leaders also raised concerns over the health impact of the pollution, saying residents were experiencing breathing difficulties and other illnesses, while no medical support had been provided.
Odidi community leader, Friday Deighan, said regulatory agencies had visited the spill site, but refuse to stop the pollution or clean the affected areas.
Monday Keme, Principal Secretary to the Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, said about 80 per cent of the kingdom's territory had been affected and gave a one-week ultimatum for the damaged pipeline to be repaired.
“The message we are passing is that after one week, if they fail to repair this pipeline, when we come back, we are going to shut down this place,” he said.
The communities appealed to the Federal Government, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to compel immediate repair of the pipeline, cleanup of the affected areas, provision of potable water and medical support, as well as payment of adequate compensation.
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