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By Chidi Nkwopara
Friday, June 18, 2004
OWERRI— ECONOMIC trees and other property estimated at over N750 million have been destroyed by an oil spillage at Umuogwa community, Awara in Ohaji-Egbema local government area of Imo State. The spillage which, at press time, had spread over five kilometres, was first spotted by the community June 1, 2004. The matter was reported to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the State Environmental Protection Agency (ISEPA). The community is demanding payment of N750 million as compensation. It also wants the impacted environment cleaned up and the replacement of the damaged pipelines.
Spokesman for the community, Mr. Ogbonnaya Uche, said despite the prompt report, SPDC did not react until June 15, 2004, after a lot of havoc had been done to farmland, economic trees and the environment.” Officials of ISEPA sent a high powered delegation to inspect the spill site. Apparently shocked at whatc they saw, the establishment put pressure on SPDC and they came to clamp the spill point,” Uche explained. According to the spokesman, officials of SPDC led by Mr. Paschal Okereke, ISEPA and Federal Ministry of Environment and representatives of the community were present when the pipeline was excavated to properly examine the rupture point.” SPDC officials came with equipment which enabled them do the UTM reading on the spot. Although all the people present agreed that the cause of the spill was as a result of corrosion, Mr. Okereke of the SPDC declined to make any comment on the spot, saying he would only speak at a latter date,” Uche said.
Continuing, he expressed shock that the same Okereke came the following day with another set of people, dropping ISEPA, Federal Ministry of Environment and representatives of the community. “Up to the time of speaking with you (Vanguard), the result of the UTM reading of June 15, 2004 is yet to be released by SPDC and I must say that their second coming is highly suspicious,” the spokesman said.
Answering another question, Uche explained that the oil pipelines were laid in 1966. "The pipelines were laid in 1966. Age is no longer on their side and that explains why SPDC startedchanging them from the Egbema end of the line but regrettably stopped at Asaa. The effect of the spillage is still with us,” Uche said.
He lamented that despite housing no fewer than eight oil wells, the community has no good road network, no potable water and no public power supply, adding that since 1966 when the pipelines were laid through their farmland, neither the government nor SPDC has paid any compensation to the community. “Government should quickly come to our aid as we have completely lost our means of livelihood,” Uche pleaded.
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