A significant oil spill has been polluting the Atlantic coastline near Ibeno in southern Akwa Ibom State since Saturday, residents of the area have informed SaharaReporters. Our sources disclosed that the major spillage of crude oil came from ExxonMobil's operations in the area. Last Friday, some crude stored at the company’s tank farm was burned off in a fire that ExxonMobil blamed on lightning.
A significant oil spill has been polluting the Atlantic coastline near Ibeno in southern Akwa Ibom State since Saturday, residents of the area have informed SaharaReporters. Our sources disclosed that the major spillage of crude oil came from ExxonMobil's operations in the area. Last Friday, some crude stored at the company’s tank farm was burned off in a fire that ExxonMobil blamed on lightning.
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The company’s terse statement had claimed that no crude was discharged, but residents of the area asserted that there was growing evidence of leaked crude on the Ibeno shoreline. Some community leaders accused the firm of issuing a denial about a spill in order to evade possible liabilities. They added that the massive oil spill affected several coastal communities.
Okon Akpanubong, the head of Iwuo Okpom community in Ibeno, said that the spill came from the tank farm operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria, ExxonMobil's Nigerian subsidiary. He urged the management of the oil company to hasten in cleaning up the spill, adding that the management had inspected the site and promised to get back to the community.
John Etim, the Ibeno coordinator of the Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria, said that the oil spill would cause untold hardship to the fishing community in Ibeno. He said the fish in the area must have migrated to the territorial waters of neighboring countries, regretting that fishing would be adversely be affected in the area in the coming months. “The oil spill affects the life of the fish and other aquatic life,” he said, adding, “every fish that lives in the water will escape to the deep sea where they will have clean water to survive.”
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He stated that this would bring hardship to artisanal fishermen who operate near the coastline.
Mr. Etim stated that members of his association do not have high-capacity outboard engines to enable them to embark on deep-sea fishing. According to him, any fish caught at this time near the coastline must have been contaminated by the crude oil spill.
Mr. Etim called on ExxonMobil to pay compensation to members of the Ibeno community as well as other affected communities. He stated that fishermen would be compelled to suspend fishing until the spill was cleaned up. Contacted by our correspondent, Akaninyene Esiere, the manager in charge of public and government affairs at the Qua Iboe Terminal, Ibeno confirmed the development, adding that the company was studying the situation and would issue a statement in due course.
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