Oil-producing giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company
Limited (NAOC), has been charged to immediately step in and stop the oil
leakage on its pipeline and also clean the oil spill site at Taylor Creek
Oilfields.
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the
Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), which made the call, said the visits to the impacted
area by its field monitors, however, showed that the damage to the pipeline was
caused by vandals in September last year.
In the field report signed by the Head of Field
Operations at ERA/FoEN, Alagoa Morris, and made available to journalists in
Yenagoa yesterday, ERA/FoEN said the pipeline leak had been left to wreak havoc
on the environment and residents near the oilfield operated by NAOC.
ERA/FoEN said though it condemns attacks on oil
installations, the devastating effect on the environment made their call to the
operator imperative.
It stated in the report that: “This is where Agip
should take responsibility for not clamping the ruptured spot immediately and
allowing condensate, crude oil and gas to continuing spewing for seven months.
“Whatever steps Agip might have taken, provided
this spot has been left bubbling for over half a year makes the company
culpable.
“If the company has a reputation of not attending to
equipment failure incidents for up to two months, then this is not about cause
of incident but a corporate attitude which needs to change.”
They requested the industry regulators, especially
the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Department of Petroleum
Resources and the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, to investigate the
matter.
The report charged further that “Bayelsa State
Ministry of Agriculture should also begin to take needed interest on how
farmlands and fishing environment are impacted by pollutants in the common interest
of the people.
“Yenagoa Local Government Area should follow up and
not only document such incidents but do the needful in terms of stakeholders’
engagement, including communities, security agencies, NGOs and the media.”
However, officials of Agip have declined to comment
on the incident.
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