By Precious Ahiakwo
With two major oil spills within a week in Rivers State, Nigeria, it is obvious that the oil companies are yet to show seriousness about ensuring that their facilities are in good working conditions, it is quite alarming that rather than remediating the harms, more investments are being made to expand the areas of threat. New investments in the fossil fuels sector and incessant new oil spills threaten to push the world into climate catastrophe and expose the wrong headed pathway taken by nations when they gather at COPs for climate negotiations.
One oil spill was reported from a pipeline owned by shell in Eteo community on June 13 2023 while another occurred at Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, June 18 2023 in Oke-Olebo stream which is the only source of fresh water for the community.
Nnimmo Bassey, a member of Oilwatch steering committee stated “we have always advocated for a cleaner environment and we charge the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to take into account the new oil spills that threatens to derail the ongoing cleanup process. Steps should be taken to ensure accountability by offending parties”.
The coordinator of Oilwatch Africa, Salome Nduta expressed dissatisfaction over the action of oil companies in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. “Recently at the just concluded Africa Energy Summit held in UK, it showed that Africa is not just a geographical location but it is also a cow that should be milked dry for the gains of her captors. Polluters should be held accountable for loss and damage inflicted on communities in Africa”.
Oilwatch Africa calls on the Nigerian government to take charge and ensure the proper clean-up of polluted lands and as well payment of compensation for damage suffered. As a group,we further charge all African government to invest in renewable energy taking into consideration the true cost of extraction which is causing more harm than good to her peoples.