Yinka Olaito
Oil spillage has huge impact beyond what many think. While in some localities, the incidence had been curtailed to the barest minimum in the past two years, for Bodo and other oil producing communities in Rivers state Nigeria, the story is otherwise. What can be considered as one of the largest oil spills in recent time occurred on Friday, August 18, at Bodo Community, in Sogi area to be specific. This area is not too far from where multiple oil spills have occurred in recent times on the identified trans-Niger Delta pipeline which operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Ltd,”
The news was first communicated to the media by Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive director of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Fyneface in his communication and observation raised concerns about the environmental impact of this latest spillage on the community.
Fyneface Dumnamene in a very concerned tone claimed “ we have lost count of oil spill reports from Bodo city alone due to incessant occurrences, and there was a need to go beyond press statements that put these incessant spills in this same community on the record of the Guinness World Records for the community so as to make oil companies operating around this area to be ashamed as well as deter all of them: both indigenous and multinational oil companies, who are operating in the Niger Delta. area”
A spot of the oil spill
Fyneface Dumnamene believed if this is done, there is a possibility for the whole world to “ hold these companies to account for the ecosystem destruction and save the fragile Bodo, Ogoni, and Niger Delta communities, especially with the ongoing clean-up exercise by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).”
As much as this could help, Nigeria Grassroot News believes the looming danger and how to quickly address its impact on the community , members, climate, soil, means of livelihood demands more urgency except we want a disaster to happen. Saving lives first should be a priority before seeking global attention.
As a media house, Nigeria Grassroot News believe real attention should be focused on Fyneface called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to immediately embark on a joint investigation visit (JIV) with Shell and other stakeholders to the spill site in Bodo City and not to delay it like it has refused to carry out a JIV on the 18 June 2023 crude oil spill in Eteo Community in Eleme Local government Area till date. This we believe will help to set up immediate action that can safeguard the people and the entire environment from ruin or unnecessary damage.
Oil Spills in Bodo
It is not new that Bodo community has continually faced challenges of oil spillage, especially many of these were not caused by the community members as a whole. Records had it there were four occurrences of such within a month in the past year yet a long term safeguard cries of the community had not been heeded.
Joint investigative report Team in August 2022 showed or allegedly indicted Shell as responsible for about 5 barrels of oil spillage in Bodo community. Till date nothing really serious or a heavy penalty had not been imposed to checkmate further recurrence. When negative actions are not seen to be severely punished, it will have encouraged others knowing no reprimand will be made.
What is obvious in all these back and forth is a complex interwoven of interests: corporate profits, people and ecological sustainability, If properly managed and each is willing to shift, a balance can be achieved, unfortunately corporate profitability is often allowed to prevail.
What is most annoying in all these is that for about two months there were occurrences of multiple crude oil spills in two other communities in Aleto and Eteo, in Eleme Local Council of the state? To add insult to injury, despite these, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was yet to carry out the joint investigation on the cause of the spill.
How long can we wait as we continue to see bitter cry of these communities in many of the Oil producing states and communities? Will a Guinness World Record be enough?
Bodo City in is situated in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State
Photo credit: The Guardian and NaijaInfo Ph
