Residents of 15 communities in Nembe coastal area of Bayelsa state have cried out that they were finding it difficult to breathe and were dying of hunger following a major oil spill at the Aiteo’s OML29 Well 1 that spewed enormous crude into the environment, IgbereTV reports.
The oil well blowout in the Nembe creek of Bayelsa which was said to have occurred on November 5 according to oil firm but which the locals claimed was noticed on November 1 has impacted about forty fishing settlements in the creek and gradually spreading to other communities in Bayelsa and the Kalabari axis of Rivers State, killing fishes and other aquatic lives.
Residents of the communities within the vicinity have now been forced to flee their homes
Although Aiteo has activated an extensive spillage containment response as witnessed in the area as well as distributing relief materials to the affected communities, however the traumatized people said they are dying of hunger following the destruction of their means of livelihood.
The worse impacted settlement, it was learned include Worikuma-kiri, Arrrow-kiri, Adamata kiri, Sunny-kiri I & II, Sand Sand village and other fishing settlements whose inhabitants have been denied right to carry on with their trade.
Cessation of livelihood
The disturbed natives lamented that their fishing trade which is their main source of livelihood has been truncated due to the pollution of the rivers, creeks and rivulets adding that their socio-economic condition had worsened and access to drinking water polluted since the spill occurred.
Lamenting the adverse effects of the spillage, landlord to OML 29 Well 1 immediate environment, Workuma Pegi (elect) an indigene of the area, said “The incident happened on November 1. It so affected me that, in fact I cannot evaluate the total damage there. In fact, none of the inhabitants stays there anymore. We have been totally displaced due to the hazardous nature of the crude oil spewing in gaseous form. We cannot breathe. And, being so affected and denied of our source of income, we are now going through hunger; even as all our fishing gears have been destroyed. I don’t think I will be able to evaluate what has been damaged there now.
“For instance, the Agric Palms and coconut trees, those are everlasting things. The matured coconut tree produces for about 150 years and my harvest there, when I used to harvest; I know what I get. So that kind of thing you know what it means; it really affected me, including other crops that I cannot mention. The spill affected almost above 50 fishing settlements. Now, we are demanding, if the oil giant does not come, the government should come to our aid and do something meaningful.’’
Another resident who spoke anonymously said “This creek is our major source of drinking, but since this incident occurred we cannot use this water again. The oil well blowout has affected most of our activities here. Fishing which is our major occupation has been halted. Our children now have cough, some have eye problems and different kinds of illness. When it first happened, we cannot breathe well because of the gas as it saturated the air. The government should give us relief materials and send medical team,” he said.
