Oil spill hits Delta communities, pollutes water

Some communities in Sapele and Okpe local government areas of Delta State have been devastated by oil  spillage  which  polluted their source of water.

The communities include Amuokpokpor-Elume, Ologho, Elume, Okwelabra, in Sapele Local Government Area and Ekoko, Eroghor, Idjekporo, Mereje, Opuraja in  Okpe Local Government Area.

Residents of Amuokpokpor community, one of the worst hit, recently staged a peaceful protest, saying that the spill emanated from leaking well-heads of Conoil .

According to them, the situation has led to the outbreak of waterborne and skin diseases in the various communities.

The people expressed displeasures over this, adding that the Amuokpokpor River that had been poisoned by the spill remained the only source of water for domestic and farming activities.

The community’s chairman, Mr. Christopher Efe Obule who led the protesters at the waterside, said crude oil and natural gas had been pumping into the river and nearby fishing settlements for weeks, on the Amuokpokpor Elume community coastline through other communities before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, adding that oil companies had abandoned their corporate responsibilities in disaster management.

The community chairman called on the relevant authorities to come to their rescue.

“Our people only source of water remained this river and all our aquatic animals have been killed by the pollution. What has happened here was clear wickedness by the operatives to have left us to suffer for what we know nothing about.

“They refused to purify the water for our consumption. We have to be contributing and buying sachet water for drinking and cooking,” he said.

Obule said some of their children who were ignorant of the consequences, drank the polluted water and were hospitalised while others developed skin diseases.

Also speaking, councillor representing Ward 18 in the local government area, Hon. Sam Azu, called on government at all levels as well as other well-meaning individuals and organisations to prevail on Conoil to do the needful regarding the oil spills, lamenting that it had grounded economic activities of the people in the area.

Azu, who is a native of the community said the incident remained the biggest oil spill disaster in the history of the community since the three wellheads were built over 40 years.

The community eldest man, Mr. Smart Oghomedje who spoke alongside others said residents of the community who are peasant farmers could no longer go to their fishing activities.

While displaying their fishing nets, cages, hooks, among others soaked in crude oil, he said if no urgent attention taken by the company, the entire community might be wiped off by the water-borne diseases.

Meanwhile, all efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the company was unsuccessful as one of the company staff, Mr. Shola Ekundayo directed Nigerian Tribune to the company’s Corporate Office in Lagos for comments.