Fishermen in Akwa Ibom in February 2011, held a prayer session to seek God’s intervention to stop oil spillage in the area.

Their prayer appeared answered as there was no case of spillage in the Qua Iboe oil fields for 10 months.

However, the December 20 Bonga oil spillage in the same year, in which 40,000 barrels of crude oil were discharged into the Atlantic Ocean, took industry watchers by surprise.

The spillage which emanated from the Bonga deep-sea oil facility operated by Shell Nigeria Production and Exploration Company (SNEPCO), ExxonMobil, Eni and Total as joint venture partners with NNPC, is located about 120 kilometres from the coastline and accounts for 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The oil fields are named after a local fish species, Bonga. The fish is notable for its resilience and unique taste and suitable for most dishes along the West African coastline.

The Director-General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Dr Peter Idabor, says the spill covers approximately 950 squre-kilometres in the ocean surface.

Seven months after the spill, the agency imposed a $5 billion administrative fine on Shell.

Idabor says the fine is for impact of the spill on the sea and aquatic lives.

“Looking into the sea, the 40,000 barrels oil spill impacted about 950 squre-kilometres. beneath the sea bed. So as we speak, there is still a lot of oil at the bottom of the ocean which has not been cleaned up,” Idabo says.

“Let me note here that this administrative fine is different from compensation, because investigations are ongoing, and Shell may also pay compensation if we determine more damage.”

The NOSDRA boss notes that as a result of the spill, the livelihood of the people in the communities along 120 kilometres to Bonga has been affected.

“Due to contamination of the open water, there are job losses as the people are mainly fishermen, and this has also led to high incidence of migration of the people from these communities in search of fresh water.”

The people of the area were not so lucky in 2012, as three spill incidents have occurred within the year, on August 13, August 24 and November 9 at the Qua Iboe oil fields.

Chairman, Esit Eket Local Government Council, Chief Ibanga Etang, says the November  9 spill impacted negatively on fishing communities in southern Akwa Ibom.

“The spill contaminated the water, causing fish drought and distorting the marine food chain.

“Whenever a spill occurs, fishermen are thrown out of business because when the waters become toxic, fishes migrate from the reach of fishermen.

“The recurring spills put to question the claims by Mobil management that it has replaced aged pipeline network,’’ Etang notes..

Mrs Udual Eyo-Sunday, a fish seller, says that they were adversely affected by the oil spill.

“Whenever there is oil spill, the fishermen do not bring fish back from the waters and when we cannot buy fresh fish, we have nothing to dry and sell.

“We find it difficult to feed our children and the situation will continue for a long time.

“That is why we need relief materials and compensation for the damage to our source of livelihood,’’ Eyo-Sunday says.

A community leader in Ibeno Local Government, Chief John Etim, describes the latest spill as the worst in recent times.

He says that frequent spills have impoverished the fishing population on the coastline.

“Oil spills have been a major obstacle to our fishermen and it is worsened by the insensitivity of Mobil in the past. But we have seen signs that they are turning a new leaf.

“The way Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) has communicated with the communities gives us hope amidst disappointment. We, however, urge them to be reasonable and compensate every one that was impacted,’’ Etim says.

The fishermen, who operate under the aegis of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN), say a safe operational environment at the oil fields will support fishing activities and ensure food security in the country.

Chairman of ARFAN in the state, Rev. Samuel Ayadi, says that the fishermen have suffered untold hardship since 2010 due to frequent oil spills.

“Many fishermen were forced out of business for the greater part of the year due to pollution of the Atlantic by oil and gas companies operating within our territorial waters, he says.

Ayadi explains that although 2011 was spill-free from January till December, fishermen in the state were yet to receive any compensation for the previous incidents.

The association’s chairman also notes that due to the rigorous oil spill compensation process, fishermen are always at the losing side whenever a spill occurred.

“Our existing laws on oil spill compensation favour the international oil companies to the detriment of fishermen who lack the resources to pursue their claims.

“We have oil spill compensation claims that have been pending for more than 10 years and even the cases we won in court, the companies refuse to comply with such judgment.’’

Ayadi stresses the need for a harmonious relationship between the host communities and oil companies.

“The Atlantic Ocean where the oil companies operate is our ‘farm’. We are there day and night and whenever there is an oil spill or any interference with oil installations, we are the first to know and report to the security agencies.

“The companies should see us as their neighbours,” Ayadi adds.

To ensure a cordial relationship between Mobil and host communities, Akwa Ibom Government in October, 2011 set up a committee to produce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The stakeholders at the meeting regretted the deteriorating relationship and promised to work together for the common good of all.

They also pledged to hold regular dialogue and consultations to build a cordial relationship that would ensure peaceful operations at the Qua Iboe oil fields.

Stakeholders have therefore, suggested that oil companies should hold regular consultations with oil producing communities, to reduce frictions.

They also stress the need for the companies to maintain their facilities to check avoidable oil spillage.

Nwakamma writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Nathan Nwakamma