Days after the rupture of an oil pipeline in the Rumuoduwere community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, the people of the area are calling on the federal and state governments to mandate the facility owner, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to stop the oil spill.
The people of Rumuoduwere in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area said the oil spill poses a grave danger to the lives and livelihood of the people of the community.
The spill which occurred on August 21, 2024, is said to be from a Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC facility and reports have it that residents of the area have started leaving the community for fear of the unknown.
During an inspection of the area with newsmen, the Paramount Ruler of Rumuoduwere Community, Eze Kenneth Ndamati Otto accused the oil multinational operating the pipeline of neglect.
The Paramount ruler of the community Eze Kenneth Ndamati Otto also called on the oil multinational to urgently clean up the spill and restore their means of livelihood.
“Since on 21st day of August, 2024, Shell pipeline has been spilling crude oil all over Rumuoduwere autonomous community, and up till now the affected oil company has not come to see the King of the community for clearance. Since 1957 Shell entered the community, the oil multinational has not done anything for the people of the community.
"They keep on destroying our community; I called on the Rivers State Government to come to our aid because people are now leaving their houses over the fear of the unknown” the king said.
Also speaking, an opinion leader in the community, Dr Martin Enwuka said the spill harms the health of the residents and the environment.
He further said that the spill has contaminated their drinking water and the ecosystem.
He noted that SPDC has not implemented any Social Corporate Responsibility in the community since they commenced operation in the area.
Dr Enwuka further called on the Ministry of Environment and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to come and assess the level of damage done to the environment by the oil spill.
However, Shell is yet to make any statement on the incident.
