Delta communities promised to shut down oil firm over oil spill

Members of the Erhobaro, Etavwobakai, Etewhia, Obaro-Uku, Ovara-Unukpo, Atagbuwe, and Eroike, all in Ughelli North and Ethiope East local government areas of Delta State, have  promised to chase out multinational oil firm operating in their area if they refuse to clean up oil spill on their lands and  pay compensations for the damages done

The members of the affected communities, also called on the Federal Government and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to caution the oil firm, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, in order to avert the crisis that might erupt over the spill.

Representatives of the communities on Thursday said they woke up sometime in August 2019 to see their “farmlands, ponds, rivers and streams covered by hydrocarbon (crude oil) from the failed facility of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited.

“As a result, all the means of livelihood of our people, who are predominantly farmers, got perished, leaving many households in the communities in acute poverty, hunger, and suffering,” they lamented.

They emphasized that several letters had been written to the oil firm and Joint Investigation Visits (JIV) by all affected stakeholders carried out, while NOSDRA had even promised that the affected communities lands, ponds, rivers, and streams would be cleaned up and adequate compensations paid by HEOSL.

“But since then till now, the company neither cleaned up the land nor paid compensations for the crops damaged,” the communities lament.

The trio of Chief John Ikushoni (President General, Erhoike Community), Chief Godwin Oviguareya (representing landowners), and Anibor Michael, representing the affected communities, told newsmen that as an aftermath of the oil spillage, the communities had no access to clean water since 2019 as all their lands were already polluted with crude oil.

They insisted that if the HEOSL management further failed to heed their call, they (communities) would ask them (oil firms) to leave their oil fields.

The woman leader of the federated communities, Mrs. Rachael Ukuveghre said the women, “will occupy the premises, we will dance naked on their premises until they listen to us.”