A devastating oil spill has once again ravaged the Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, leaving destruction in its wake. This heart-wrenching catastrophe struck on Thursday, as crude oil gushed from a pipeline owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company. The timing of this disaster is particularly cruel, coming a mere two months after a similar spill wreaked havoc in the same area.
Monica, a resident deeply impacted by the spill, recounted the chilling moment they heard a blast around 1 pm. Her voice quivered with anguish as she described how the relentless flood of oil has decimated their farmlands and poisoned their rivers—vital sources of sustenance for the community. The people of Bodo now face an uncertain and grim future, their very means of survival shattered by this relentless environmental tragedy.
She stated, “You know we the Ogoni people are mainly farmers and fishermen. But with what has happened now it will be difficult. Let the government come and help us.”
Eco Defence Alliance, a fervent non-governmental organization, vehemently condemned the multinational corporation for its blatant refusal to provide lasting solutions to the devastating oil spills plaguing its facility in the region.
The organization expressed outrage over the corporation’s persistent negligence, accusing it of prioritizing profits over the lives and well-being of the affected communities.
In a fervent and passionate declaration, Damian Gbogbara, the resolute Coordinator of the Eco Defence Alliance, revealed the heart-wrenching news of yet another devastating spill.
This latest catastrophe struck in the stillness of the night, on Thursday, July 4th, 2024, at approximately 12:45 am, tearing through the Sugi area of the Bodo community.
Gbogbara expressed deep anguish and outrage over the incident, emphasizing that it happened alarmingly close to a region already ravaged by numerous recent oil spills on the Trans-Niger Pipeline, which is under the operation of Shell.
He expressed that the group is overwhelmed by the countless oil spill incidents in Bodo, a tragic reflection of the unending devastation. He urgently cautioned that authorities must act with utmost care and responsibility in investigating the cause of these spills and swiftly seal the leaking pipes to prevent a looming crisis that threatens to engulf the community.
“Again, there is the need for transparency in the whole process, from constituting the JIV team to its implementation and its final result to avoid any form of crisis as witnessed the other time.
“The JIV report will help to hold the companies to account and also served as evidence-based documents for possible litigation on the ecosystem destruction, and safe the fragile Bodo, Ogoni, and Niger Delta Environment, especially with the ongoing clean up exercise by the Bodo Mediation Initiative, beside the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project coordinated Clean Up gearing up to start in the area,” he stated.
He implored the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to urgently undertake a joint investigation with Shell and other key stakeholders at the devastated spill site in the Sugi Area of Bodo City, emphasizing that immediate action is imperative, unlike the agency’s typical, unacceptable delays.
He passionately asserted that the JIV report would be crucial in uncovering the cause and scale of the spill, as well as the devastating impact on the environment and ecosystem. He issued a stern warning against any efforts to tamper with the JIV process or its findings.
He reiterated, “The latest spill occurred on Thursday 4th July 2024, at about 12:45 am in the Sugi area of the Bodo community.
He lamented that the sheer number of oil spills in Bodo has become impossible to track, with incidents happening so frequently.
He warned the authorities sternly, urging them to act with the utmost caution in investigating the cause of the spills and sealing the leaking pipes. Failure to do so, he warned, could ignite a crisis that would devastate the community.
“Again, there is the need for transparency in the whole process, from constituting the JIV team to its implementation and its final result to avoid any form of crisis as witnessed the other time.”
Source: The PUNCH
