Residents of Kpea Community in Khana Local Government Area have raised fresh concerns over the prolonged oil spill in their area, accusing the operating oil company of abandoning the site five days after the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV). The incident, which has lasted for about two weeks, was traced to equipment failure according to the JIV report.
Speaking to our reporter, the Youth President of Kpea Community, Petabari Donaldson, lamented that gas continues to leak from the affected wellhead with no remediation efforts in sight.
“Leaving that place like that without doing anything to correct the menace is not giving us joy. After the JIV test, the company has not shown any sign of returning to curb the gas leakage. The gas is still coming up, and one of these nights it could catch fire. This is a serious problem to us because the company is silent and has done nothing further,” he said.
Mr. Donaldson, confirmed that the people have already written to NNPC Ltd, urging the company to implement NOSTRA’s recommendations for immediate cleanup and remediation.
“We have written to them, and they have received the letter. If they fail to respond, we will go further. NOSTRA’s report clearly recommended immediate attention to that site, including cleanup and remediation,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, environmental rights activist Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Center (YEAC), has called on regulators to invoke the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to hold the operators accountable.
“The JIV report points to equipment failure as the cause of this spill. The law is clear: when a spill occurs due to equipment failure, the company must pay compensation, carry out adequate cleanup, and remediate the environment. Relevant authorities must ensure accountability,” Dr. Dumnamene stated.
He further expressed worry that oil spills continue to occur in Ogoni land despite ongoing remediation under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“The continuous introduction of crude oil pollution in an area where cleanup is ongoing is unacceptable. While oil theft and illegal refining have reduced, it is alarming that spills are now occurring from equipment failure. This situation demands urgent measures,” he warned.
