Sir,
EXTREMELY URGENT: THE DIRE NEED FOR NAOC TO MOBILIZE AND DISTRIBUTE RELIEF MATERIALS TO AGWETITI COMMUNITY AFFECTED BY OIL SPILLAGE FROM YOUR FACILITIES OCCASIONED BY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
The above subject matter refers.
Sir, I write this letter on behalf of my people of Agwetiti with a heavy heart, an angry spirit and a pained mind. I feel this way because over two weeks since the waters and lands of our community, Agwetiti, got polluted by oil spillage resulting from equipment failure of your facilities, mum has not just been the word from your company, you have also failed to do the needful in line with global best practices and good conscience.
That a world class company like yours with decades of industry experience and run by experts chose to behave this way is shocking, disturbing and painful. Your action is condemnable, reprehensible.
For the people of Agwetiti community whose existence revolves around the marine environment and their soils being that they are all farmers and fishermen, June 14, 2024 is a date they will never forget because it was the day their woes were compounded and their existence hanging in the balance.
They have continued to wonder how to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. Their natural endowments which are supposed to be sources of blessings and relief have become a curse for no fault of theirs.
Sir, that operational failures of oil facilities can occur is common knowledge. But in the light of this, measures are also in place to address the consequences of such occurrences one of which is prompt provisions of relief materials to the affected people. Sadly, this has not been done by your company since the oil spillage occured.
All over the world, companies who own facilities that cause oil spillage are duty-bound to proactively and expeditiously contain the spill and resolve the situation as rapidly, safely and effectively as possible in order to limit the escape of oil and protect the marine and coastal environments from its effects. Unfortunately, this has not been the case with your company. This unfortunate delay has led to the spill breaking down and widely distributed throughout the water and the environment.
Not only has the thriving trades of fishing and farming been halted, the once enthralling swathe of luxuriant vegetation has become a sorry sight and the entire place is now choked with offensive smell of crude and contaminated air. With no means of survival and trapped in poisoned habitations, life has become hellish for our people.
Sir, we wish to draw your attention to the fact that the people of Agwetiti are seriously starving and suffering. We call on the management of your company to immediately commence the distribution of adequate relief materials to ameliorate their suffering in the wake of the cessation of their means of livelihood due to pollution of their lands and water due to oil spillage caused by equipment failure from NAOC oil delivery pipelines situated at Agwetiti with reference no: 2024/LAR/050 with latitude 5°38’30.665″ N and longitude 6°36’55.563″.
The spillage has adversely affected the environment and increased the level of poverty in the community, taking a great toll on the physical and mental health, as well as the occupational mobility of the people.
Members of the community are unable to access water for drinking and domestic activities, and their farmlands have been damaged. Till this moment the crude could be seen flowing downstream along the Niger, destroying aquatic life in the process. The spill is massive and devastating, with the attendant offensive stench becoming unbearable.
Therefore, the community demands immediate and adequate provision of relief materials and are determined not to tolerate any further delay.
We are clearly aware of our rights. The Minerals and Mining Act, the Petroleum (Drilling and Production) Regulation, the Common Law Principles of Trespass to Land, Nuisance and Negligence which provides for victims of oil pollution to be adequately compensated, among others, are all legislations in our statute books.
We know that the holder of an oil mining oar exploitation lease is liable to pay compensation to the owners or occupiers for any damage done to building, crops or profitable trees. With our lands and waters all gone because of this spill, we have been pushed to the wall and will explore every option available to us to seek redress if the management of NAOC delays further.
We look forward to your company doing the needful immediately so that the present circumstances we find ourselves do not worsen.
Signed:
Rtn. Sir(Chief) Dr. Charles Olisa Ph. D, FICG, FIMC, KSMKSM
(President General/CDC Chairman Agwetiti Community).
C. C
*Eni Group, Italy
*MD/CEO NAOC, Abuja
*DG NOSDRA, ABUJA
*COMMISSION CHIEF EXECUTIVE NOSDRA, ABUJA
*DIRECTOR, NESREA
*DIRECTOR-GENERAL WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
*SENATOR NED MUNIR NWOKO, SENATOR REPRESENTING DELTA NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT
*HON. NNAMDI EZECHI, MEMBER EPRESENTING NDOKWA/UKWUANI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY
- INTERNATIONAL , NATION AND LOCAL MEDIA /PRESS.
