Oil Spill: Edo Farmers Give NNPC Ultimatum

Farmers whose farmlands were destroyed by the 2008 oil spill in Auchi, Edo State, have given the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) one month ultimatum to pay them compensation or face “unpleasant measures”.

The farmers said that the ultimatum became necessary due to the levity with which the corporation was addressing the issue of compensation.

Secretary of the farmers group in the area, Mr Audu Momodu, told newsmen that more than 500 farmers had their farmlands totally destroyed by the spill.

Investigations show that the spill, which occurred in August 2008, was allegedly caused by equipment failure at the NNPC’s flow station in Auchi.

Momodu said that several hundreds of hectares of farmland were destroyed by the more than 1,245 barrels of refined petroleum products believed to have spilled during the incident, which lasted for 42 days.

He noted with regret that many of the farmers had died due to the poverty induced by the destruction of their farms and NNPC’s refusal to compensate them.

“It is highly disappointing that issues affecting the livelihood of fellow citizens could be trivialised.

“The corporation had carried out various forms of assessment and resolved that compensation would be paid, but it seems to be reneging.

“As I speak, they have not fulfilled their promise to pay. They kept promising, but have refused to do something; not even the relief materials that were promised at the early stage.

“We have made several attempts to get them to comply, but have not been successful. We have been to their office at Warri, Delta, and Abuja for the purpose and the story remains the same,” he added.

Momodu said that although necessary clean-up exercise was carried out in the affected area, “we still have not been able to farm on the land because of the damage”.

He explained that it was for this reason that the farmers decided to give the NNPC management one month ultimatum to pay the compensation.

“We can no longer bear the misfortune. We have been patient enough, and it appears they are taking our decision to remain calm and law abiding for a ride,” he added.