Tragedy As Agip Pole Electrocutes Girl In Rivers

Tragedy struck at Mgbede community in Ogba/Egbeme/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, last week as a 20-year old girl, Esther Ugochi Okwuakonwa, was electrocuted by a high tension line belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NGOC).

The incident, according to eye witness account, occurred as the victim attempted to pass through a farm route blocked by the bent electric pole, which had forced members of the community to detour through a difficult terrain to access their farms.

The source further revealed that the victim, who suffered severe injuries on the head, was rescued by community members, before the intervention of some staff of Agip, who took the victim to the company’s hospital within the area.

The victim was later said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt, where she is said to be receiving medical attention.

However, the victim’s state of health is said to be uncertain as her family members have not been allowed to see her for days running.

President of Mgbede Youths Association, Mason Ejekine, told The Tide that the incident was caused by the negligence of the Italian oil giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

According to him, Mgbede youths leadership made several moves to draw the attention of the oil company to the deplorable condition of the electric pole, with a view to triggering repair work on the bent pole, but could not get any positive response until the incident occurred.

The youth leader also decried the non-challant attitude of Agip’s management towards the development aspirations of host communities, especially Mgbede, stating that the company was only interested in its business without considering the impact of such operations on the livelihoods of the local people.

He described the company as about the least in the hierarchy of major oil and gas companies in the region with effective community development policies, saying that Agip’s records in community relations and development strategy has been abysmally poor.

Ejekine called on the management of the company to open direct negotiation with the community with a view to prioritise the development needs of the community as part of its corporate social responsibility.

When contacted on phone, the company’s public relations officer, one Mr Opuyo refused to pick his calls, after several efforts, just as several text messages sent to him for comments on the incident, were ignored.

Beemene Taneh