ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The President, Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, has berated Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company for attributing the wellhead leak around its OML 29 oilfield in the Nembe creeks of Bayelsa State to alleged sabotage when a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) has not been conducted on the incident.
He also described as shameful reports of the indigenous oil firm’s provision, last Saturday, of 200 bags of rice as relief material to over 40 affected communities whose marine environment and their means of livelihoods had been destroyed by the huge oil spill, which occurred on November 1, 2021.
Okaba spoke on Tuesday while briefing reporters at its national secretariat in Yenagoa on the incident, following a visit to the impacted site by INC’s team of environmentalists.
Okaba was flanked by the secretary of the body, Ebipamowei Wodu, financial secretary, Kennedy Odiowei, publicity secretary, Ezonebi Oyakemeagbeha and second vice president, Nengi James, who headed the team.
Aiteo had claimed in a statement on Saturday by its Media Contact, Matthew Ndiana, that the leak was a result of third-party interference, noting that “due to the high-pressure effusion, the JIV team could not reach the location and that inspection was aborted.”
He had said: “Aiteo remains committed to ascertaining, immediately the wellhead is secure, the immediate and remote causes of the leak which will be driven by a JIV that will follow.
“Nevertheless, it is important that we affirm our preliminary view, based on our assessment of the proximate circumstances, that it will be difficult to exclude deliberate tampering of the well by oil thieves attempting to siphon crude directly from the wellhead. In our view, sabotage remains the most imminent cause of this incident.”
But Okaba faulted Aiteo’s position on sabotage, saying it was capable of jeopardizing the outcome of the JIV that had yet to be carried out as crude was still discharging from the spill point which had not been plugged.
He said: “First and foremost, we want to express our dismay over the position of Aiteo that the oil spill was caused by sabotage. The INC considers this position as prejudicial and pre-emptive, and it is unacceptable.
“Since the leak occurred, Aiteo has been complaining that it does not have the capacity to mobilise personnel to clamp the leaking point on the facility. So the question is: without the JIV, how did they come up to ascertain that it is caused by sabotage?”
The INC boss called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to live up to its responsibility and not compromise on the incident.
“The place is still leaking, it is of a peculiar nature because it is not from the pipeline. It is coming from the flow under, to the extent that it is difficult for any living being to even access the spot of damage. It requires high technology,”he stated.
On the donation of 200 bags of rice to the impacted communities, Okaba further said: “Our investigation has told us that they (Aiteo) sent only 200 bags. This is inhumanity taken too far. 200 bags of rice is what a company that has destroyed people’s lives is talking about.
“They are not even ashamed of themselves. They should be ashamed of themselves to even attribute the incident to sabotage. We are too smart for that kind of dirty politics.”
He also flayed the silence of the Federal Government since the leak happened, adding that “the Nigerian State is sabotaging our lives and environment.”