They said this would serve as a deterrent to other corporate violators in the oil and gas industry as spelt out by law.
Some riverine communities in Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta State have petitioned the Director-General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) over alleged refusal and nonchalant attitude of the Nigerian Pipelines Storage Company Limited (NPSC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) towards the cleaning up of the oil spill in the areas.
The communities called for immediate sanctions against the two companies and demanded for daily damages payment for failure to report an oil spill and clean up the impacted area since on the 10th day of August 2024.
They said this would serve as a deterrent to other corporate violators in the oil and gas industry as spelt out by law.
The oil spill, which occurred on August 10, 2024, from NPSC/NNPCL Escravos to Warri crude oil truckline at Atanba in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, had affected some communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, including Oporoza, Okpele-Ama/Tebujor, Ikpokpo, Opuedebubo, Opuede, Atanba, Ogbotu, Okerenkokogbene, Gan-Ama Zion, Kala-Ikpokpo, and Maike-Ama and among others.
In a petition which copied MD, NPSC, the Zonal Head, NOSDRA Warri zonal office, the Area Manager, NPSC, Ekpan, the zonal Director, Delta State Ministry of Environment, Warri, obtained by SaharaReporters was signed by the communities' counsel, Eric Omare, on behalf of representatives of the communities, Godwin Fibade, Lucky Bebenimibo, Elisah Odudu, Theophilus Emotimide, Mackson Ode, Jonathan Micah, Christopher Mala, Shadrach Tangbe, Sufficient Kpefe, Profit Omula and Precious Racce.
They claimed that NPSC/NNPC failed to report the spill within 24 hours as required by law and instead repaired the spill point without conducting a joint investigation visit (JIV) or cleanup.
The communities alleged that the use of unapproved dispersant by NPSC/NNPC had exacerbated the environmental damage, and impacted on their only source of livelihoods as well as farm crops and aquatic lives.
"Sequel to our public protest, officials of your agency led by the Warri Zonal Head, Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited and communities representatives, visited the site on the 2nd day of September, 2024 but we were surprised that on getting to the site of the spillage, it was discovered that NPSCL through its pipeline maintenance contractor, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited had repaired the spill point without a JIV and buried it.
"The JIV team, led by NOSDRA's Warri Zonal Head, decided that the spill point should be excavated to determine the actual situation within a week. Following this, the JIV into the spill incident was left inconclusive, with an agreement to wrap up within a week.
"However, that deadline expired on September 9, 2024, and despite multiple attempts by the affected communities to contact Nigerian Pipelines Storage Company Limited (NPSC) officials, the JIV remains unfinished. The JIV's incomplete status has hindered efforts to determine the full extent of the damage and implement necessary remedial actions.
"We are very worried that instead of the NPSC to work with the communities, NOSDRA and other relevant regulatory agencies to conclude the JIV and take steps to ameliorate the effect of the spillage and compensate persons affected by the spillage, the NPSC is frustrating all effects at concluding the JIV.
"Our clients can no longer fish to earn a living, suffering gas suffocation from the spill site and other associated health hazards.
"The water has been polluted by crude spilled into the environment. Our only source of water which we rely on to carry out daily human activities, has been polluted by the spillage. We state that the conduct of NPSC is in violation of the provisions of sections 6(2) and 6 (3) of the NOSDRA Act which requires an oil spiller to report cases of oil spillage within 24 hours in writing and take further steps to clean up the impacted site including remediation before repair of the spill point. In addition, NPSC/NNPC is also in violation of the law by using its surveillance workers to use unapproved dispersant to clean up the impacted site without a JIV and NOSDRA approval contrary to section 19 (1) (h) of the NOSDRA Act.
"The Agency shall expeditiously process and grant approval for any request made to it by an oil spiller for the use of approved dispersant or the application of any other technology considered vital in ameliorating the effect of an oil spill.
"By the provision, an oil spiller such as NPSC/NNPC cannot use any dispersant or technology to clean up a spilled site without the approval of NOSDRA contrary to what was done in the spill under reference. We demand that NPSC/NNPCL be sanctioned by application of the penalty provided for under section 6 of the NOSDRA Act on payment of N500,000 and N1,000,000 respectively for every day of failure to report an oil spill and clean up the impacted area from the 10th day of August, 2024 till any date they comply to serve as a deterrent to other corporate violators in the oil and gas industry."
"We further demand that NNPCL/NPSC should be compelled to clean up the impacted areas and made to pay fair and adequate compensation to the people and communities affected in line with the relevant laws", the petitioners demanded.