Residents of Sangana and other coastal communities in Akassa Kingdom in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State have cried out over loss of their livelihood occasioned by the alleged continuous leakage of crude oil into the environment from an offshore facility in the area.
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Dennis Naku, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Government and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency have said they will investigate the gas pipeline explosion, which shattered the serenity of Oduoha and Elibrada communities in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.
Sources told our correspondent that the rupture occurred around 3am, resulting in a leakage, which caused tremor, though there were conflicting claims by residents as to whether the incident took place in Oduoha or Elibrada.
The state Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr Peter Medee, said officials of the ministry had been assigned to visit the location as the government would not rely on third party information.
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Daniels Igoni, Yenagoa
The Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to prevail on Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company to pay the $3.6bn fine imposed on it by an industry regulator over the 2011 Bonga oilfield spill incident.
The Coordinator, ARFAN, Niger Delta chapter, Samuel Ayadi, who made the call in an interview in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday, said fishermen had suffered untold hardship fishing at the nation’s territorial waters since 2011 when an equipment failure from the Bonga offshore field operated by SNEPCo discharged some 40,000 barrels of crude into the waters.
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Since the discovery of oil in Nigeria, the oil-producing communities have been a major target of major oil companies. Oil exploration though profits the oil-rich companies, but there has been a major loss and regrets for the host communities. The ICIR’s NIYI OYEDEJI reports about how the people of Ilaje communities battle for survival amidst constant oil spillage and sea surge.
SUNDAY, July 26, 1998 was like every other day at Ubale-Nla community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Christians in the fishing community were looking forward to another edifying Sunday service in their respective churches. Those who didn’t plan to go to church were looking forward to a bountiful fishing expedition on the river until someone raised an alarm – they found an oil slick on the river body.
Chineme Okafor writes about a new legal action by community leaders in Niger Delta who want their environmental challenges addressed before fresh licences can be handed out for the 57 marginal oil blocks up for grabs in a new licensing round
A number of community leaders in the oil-bearing Niger Delta region have expressed worries over the damages irresponsible oil mining has done on their lives and environment over the years, and now want these addressed before new licenses would be issued in Nigeria’s ongoing marginal oil fields bid round.
They stated this in a lawsuit they filed at the Federal High Court (FHC) in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa state.