Residents of Obololi community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have raised alarm over the continued neglect they face in the wake of the February 16 oil spill that contaminated their river and surrounding creeks.
According to the residents, Despite the severe pollution, no concrete relief measures or cleanup efforts have been provided to mitigate the environmental disaster.
The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) identified the source of the spill as a 16-inch Nun River-Kolo Creek underwater pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
However, weeks after the disaster, affected residents remain in dire straits, facing escalating health risks and economic hardship due to the polluted waterways that have disrupted their livelihoods.
The chairman of the Obololi Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Goodnews Okoi, lamented the worsening conditions in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He emphasized that the pollution of the Obololi River has caused severe water scarcity, further exacerbated by an ongoing cholera outbreak across Bayelsa.
“Our community feels abandoned. This oil spillage has severely impacted our lives. We have been forced to suspend our fishing activities, and even our farmlands and creeks have been affected,” Okoi stated.
He further explained the economic burden the crisis has imposed on residents. “The cost of water has skyrocketed by nearly 100 percent. A sachet of water now costs N50, and a bag goes for N800. Given the current economic hardship, this has only made our suffering worse.”
Okoi also criticised SPDC’s lack of engagement in addressing the crisis. “Officials from SPDC tell us that unless the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) concludes that the spill resulted from equipment failure, they will not take responsibility. This has left our people in limbo.”
On government intervention, he revealed that while Bayelsa State Commissioner for Environment visited the community, tangible relief has yet to arrive. “The local government chairman, Target Segibo, pledged to rehabilitate an existing borehole, but after starting repairs, the submersible pump failed, and they have yet to replace it,” he said.
Additionally, Okoi pointed out that SPDC has yet to implement NOSDRA’s recommendations to divert the river to enable access to the leak point.
However, he expressed concerns over the feasibility of the plan, stating, “Creating a dam to divert the river will affect navigability. How will boats bringing essential goods reach our community? SPDC must consider these concerns and ensure their operations have a human face.”
He further decried the oil company's failure to provide emergency support. “Since mid-February, we have endured unimaginable hardship, yet SPDC has not provided any form of relief.”
Meanwhile, sources within the community confirmed that efforts to recover spilled crude into plastic tanks are ongoing. However, residents insist that this is insufficient without a full-scale cleanup and mitigation efforts.
SPDC spokesperson, Mr. Michael Adande, previously stated that the company had shut oil feeds into the leaking pipeline and promised updates on relief and remediation efforts. However, weeks later, no further communication has been provided.
As Obololi residents continue to grapple with the aftermath of the spill, they are calling on the government and relevant authorities to urgently intervene and hold SPDC accountable for addressing the environmental and humanitarian crisis that has left their community in distress.
