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New year, new oil spill in the oil rich Delta

An Environmental Rights Action monitor surveys the thick crude oil in the fishponds of Ondewari

See the slideshow showing the effects on all forms of life in the area

As the new year dawned on January 1st, across the world people picked up the pieces of the night before and welcomed in the first day of 2011, hoping for a better year ahead.

And as the world recovered from the celebrations that bought 2010 to a close, it was work as usual for Alagoa Morris of Environmental Rights action (ERA, Friends of the Earth Nigeria), who embarked on another visit to the latest devastating oil spill to blight the oil rich Niger Delta and the people that live there. He, and the communities he visited, are also hoping for a better year ahead.

The latest oil spill to come from the Nigerian oil company AGIP's infrastructure near Ondewari was discovered by local hunter over the Christmas period.

“I was on a hunting expedition on that day when I got to a certain point and saw heavy pools and stream of crude oil in the environment. When I noticed that it was a fresh oil spill, I decided to trace the point where it was leaking from along the Ogboinbiri/Obrikum pipeline. When I got close to it, it became very clear as it was bubbling out from the ground. By then, the crude oil was everywhere. Because I also have some [fish] ponds around that area I was really worried.”

The hunter quickly went to inform the local community leaders who, after an initial visit to the site of the spill, contacted AGIP. On 31st December a team of community members, security contractors and AGIP officials arrived at the spill site to carry out a Joint Investigation Team report.

Community leader Gilbert Sanga recounts what happened:

“What we saw was that, the crude oil was oozing from a spot on the pipe. And Agip Officials were attributing the cause to sabotage. I strongly opposed this opinion. Yes, the community opposed the claim that the cause of spillage is sabotage. So we did not sign any document as far as the Joint Investigation Visit was concerned. One man they were addressing as being from the Ministry of Environment was also at the site, but nobody signed any paper in relation to the spill.”

This flagrant denial of responsibility, and the disregard for the official protocols covering the reporting and assessment of oil spills, are grievances that undermine the communities trust in the oil companies and the ministries that are supposed to represent them.

Industry protocol states that a Joint Inspection Team (JIT) report should be completed in the field by all stakeholders after an oil spill. Copies of the report should then be given to all other stakeholders including the affected community. Unfortunately this rarely happens, as another spill-affected community member explains:

“In virtually every spill cases, our community representative has been either trickily or forcefully asked to countersign the signature page of a blank JIT report form and promised to be given a copy of the completed report later on. SPDC usually go away with the report forms under the watchful eyes of representatives of government regulatory agencies and security operatives with the promise that the report will be completed at their office. Occasionally, JIT reports have been given to us days after the joint inspection had been done, usually undated, having no useful tracking information but the signature page is duly signed by all parties.”

Detailed Post Impact Assessment (PIA) studies should also be commissioned following all oil spills in order to ascertain the short and long term impact. Unfortunately PIA studies are rarely carried out in either.

Perelu Keke is concerned about his livelihood and the impact the spill will have on his means of subsistence;

“We are very much concerned because our parents have lost so much because of these oil spills. Apart from that most of the animals we used to hunt and kill in this environment have ran away to distant places; those that are lick to smell the crude oil in time. As you have seen yourself, most of the fish ponds here have been impacted and, that means another round of misfortune; wasted efforts in digging the poundings and dashed hopes for victims. And, we are very close to the period when people will bail their fish ponds. Agip made people to believe that this pipeline was carrying only gas, but we are surprised that crude oil is now coming out from this same pipeline.”

Over recent months and years, reports of numerous spills in this area have bought into serious question the workmanship and safety record of AGIP.

Rights groups that represent oil spill affected communities are asking that AGIP should ensure proper security and maintenance of its facilities, that they should make the cause of this latest spill public and that this must be in agreement with community representatives and other stakeholders.

They also ask that the Federal, State and Local Government should take a special interest in ensuring the clean-up of oil impacted environments and to ensure that official protocols are followed.

As the new year dawns, perhaps its time for some serious news years resolutions from the oil companies and the Government Ministries...