As environmental pollution from explosion of Nigeria AGIP OIL Company’s operational base at Ebocha Egbema on Monday 29th through 30th June, 2015 continues to hit hard on the communities of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta Local Government Areas of Imo State, member representing Ohaji /Egbema /Oguta/Oru federal constituency of Imo State, Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah has expressed concern for lacklustre stance of the Oil Company to the plight of the affected communities.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST at the National Assembly, the Federal lawmaker explained that the pollution has caused serious damage to aquatic lives inside major water in Egbema and all communities around as a result of spill of the carbon crude oil that has turned water black and destroying food crops.
“I come from Egbema and it is a clan of seventeen autonomous communities divided between Rivers and Imo States, three of which are in Rivers while seventeen of those communities are in Imo State. The explosion occurred in Rivers, but the pollution has affected the entire communities in Egbema,” he maintained.
According to him, it was gas flaring at the oil facility that caused the explosion, but wondered at the Oil company’s excuse that the explosion was caused by pipeline vandals so as to evade culpability.
“As at now, the company in question has done nothing to show concern that what happened affected these Communities, even as Imo and Rivers State governments did all they could to get in touch with the AGIP OIL Company. As I speak with you, nothing has been achieved,” Opiah said.
He stressed that oil companies generally in Nigeria have little or no respect for state government knowing that oil issues is on the exclusive legislative list and that the government they can listen to is the Federal government.
Opiah noted that it was as a result of this, that the House of Representatives would get involved to find out the real cause of the explosion with possible compensation for the affected communities.
“That is why I want to use this platform to get the House to investigate the cause of this explosion towards ensuring that such will not occur again and to possibly contemplate compensation for the affected,” he submitted.
“We need to let Oil Companies know that they cannot continue like this in the Niger Delta where they think lives are useless and meaningless and the only thing that is important is taking oil and making money,” he said.
He is optimistic that the affected communities would find succor especially that the motion he moved in this respect has been adopted while calling on affected communities to be calm and law abiding.
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