Daily Independent (Lagos)
Clifford Thomas
24 November 2008
Uyo — Several villages and communities on the Atlantic Ocean coastlines where Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) Unlimited operates have jointly accused the oil giant of poisoning marine products from the surrounding waters.
Daily Independent's investigation into the complaint of the communities discovered that since MPN, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil started operations in the surrounding ocean and body of waters, marine products became poisonous and life expectancy reduced greatly.
One of the traditional rulers in the Iwuo-Okpom area of Ibeno, Dr. Effiong Archianga - a fisherman and royal father, said: "The oil spill of February this year, like the other ones, have left the people with less to expect from Mobil and the government. Fishes, crayfish, shrimp and other marine products caught in the course of fishing expeditions have been at great loss, in terms of cost benefit analysis and quality.
"Our fishermen spend as much between N40,000 and N60,000 daily to fund expeditions that fail to produce products. Before this latest oil spill, things weren't this bad. For three or so months after the spill, our people toiled both day and night to catch fishes, but returned empty-handed. The spill killed more fishes, and what we catch now are tiny fishes with heavy metals in them. They are not fit for human consumption, and the taste confirms this fact."
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