Community Cries Out Over Oil Spills

The Izuoma community in Oyigbo Council Area of Rivers State last Monday alleged that continual oil spills in the area by the Shell Petroleum Development Company has led to serious pollution and environmental degradation in the area.
The community raised the concern in a statement jointly signed by the traditional ruler of Izuoma, Chief Chinedu Nwaji, Mr Lazarus Ibe Uleh, the Chairman, Community Development Committee, and Mr Emeka Nkwor, the Youth President, and made available to the Press
The community called on the Federal Government to compel the company to urgently clean up the oil spill that occurred on Sept. 15, to guard against further destruction of aquatic lives and farm lands.
“When the latest oil spill occurred on Sept. 15, we wrote a letter to the Police, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and SPDC; they sent people to inspect the area but they have not come back to clean it.
“We are worried about their silence because it is not safe for us, We saw what happened to Jesse people and we don’t want such occurrence here.
“We are using this medium to call SPDC to hasten up and clean up the spill; Our lives are at risk. It is not a bad thing that oil is found in our community.
“Please, come to our aid; we need immediate answer to clean up the oil before it catches fire,” the statement said.
It said that more than 5, 560 inhabitants of the community were living in fear due to the destruction of their source of drinking water, cash crops, aquatic lives, palm trees and raffia palms, among others by the spill.
The community urged the government to urgently find a lasting solution to the problem by providing schools and health centres with potable water and habitable environment.