Samuel Oyadongha
22 October 2008
THE Biseni community in old Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has raised alarm over possible outbreak of epidemic in their community following an oil spill that occurred in the area.
The oil spill was said to have occurred at a delivery line between Biseni and Joinkrama about two weeks ago causing damage to crops, aquatic lives and the river which also served as the only source of drinking water in the community.
Though it was learnt that the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, owners of the pipeline from which the crude oil was said to have spilled had rectified the leaking point but the company is yet to deploy manpower to the impacted community to mop up the oil spillage almost two weeks after.
Already, the state government through the Commissioner from the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Mr. John Iyekorogha and the Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Maxwell Oko had visited the area to assess the extent of the spill and called on the oil companies operating in the state to always try and protect their host communities.
Also the representative of the area in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Frank Oteli is said to have visited the scene with a promise to forward the plea of the community for the oil giant to come and clean up the spill to the leadership of the house at their next sitting.
It was further learnt that the state government also met with the clan head of the community, H.R.H Lawson Obiriki in order to facilitate a meeting between representatives of the community and the management of the SPDC to avoid the break down of law and order in the area.
An indigene of the community, Pastor John Obu briefed newsmen in Yenagoa said the refusal of SPDC to move to site and mop up the spillage is causing them untold hardship and that if something is not done quickly, people would be forced to drinking the contaminated water which could cause epidemic.
He admitted that though a team from SPDC had visited the point of the spillage to tighten the pipe connection that causes the spill but has since then failed to show up and mop the impacted area.
"Our farms, fishing camps and drinking water are contaminated. Most of the people along the upper creek known as the Taylor creek are already warning their indigenes to stay away from the contaminated water," he said and pleaded with the state government to prevail on the company to expedite work on the clean up so as to save them from untold hardship.
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