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Impacted host communities of the recent oil spill in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, alleged to be from Utonana Trunkline belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), have promised to disrupt repair works of the said pipeline if they are not paid adequate compensation.
The impacted communities which are located close to the site of the oil spill, which occurred on February 18, 2021 are, Ighosuogbene, Teidegbene, Ebiabu-ama, Jones Creek, Edeuba and Ogidadunor communities.
This was contained in a statement signed by representatives of the affected communities, Comrade Jackson Timiyan (chairman, Ighosuogbene community), Elder Sampson Teide (chairman, Teidegbene community), Mr Godfrey Bifuagha (chairman, Ebiabu-ama community), Mr Jackson Powede (Edeuba community) and Mike Ari (chairman, Ogidamunor community).
The statement said the lives of the inhabitants of the impacted communities are in jeopardy as the sources of their livelihood has been negatively affected by the oil spill as well as posing danger to their health, this being that they are situated in close proximity to the location of the incident .
They also urged the American oil multinational to conduct a Joint Investigation Verification, JIV, with representatives of the affected communities participating in the exercise as well as agencies such as National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)
“Teigbene, Ighosuogbene, Ebiabuama, Jones Creek, Edeuba, Ogidadunor communities located close to Utonana flow station, where the oil spill occurred since 18 February 2021, are crying out for the adverse effects of the oil spill on their communities.
“And that as communities closest to the scene of incident, their entire livelihood has crumbled since the occurrence of the oil spill, with the people’s lives put at risk with the prevalent hazard.
“We are therefore calling on Chevron Nigerian Limited, operator of Utonana Field to swiftly carry out a JIV with all concerned regulatory agencies such as NOSDRA, DPR, Ministry of Environment and our community representatives as part of the JIV.
“Otherwise we will resist and constrain any attempt to carry out any repair on the trunkline without adequate compensation of damage paid to our communities’ representatives,” the statement warned.
There have been reports of oil spill from Abiteye and Utonana fields, assets belonging to CNL, operator of the joint venture between it and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
However, the oil giant, in its earlier reports on the oil spill, has debunked such claims saying that “CNL has investigated and continue to surveil its assets in the Abiteye field including the 16 Makaraba – Utonana – Abiteye Right of Way (ROW) and confirmed that there has not been any oil spill from its assets in Abiteye and Utonana fields.”
