Pollution:Bonny Communities, Group Lament Illegal Bunkering

Communities behind the
Oloma flow station in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State and the Organisation of Fishermen Seafood Dealers and Farmers in Niger Delta (OFSDF/ND) have blamed the absence of pipeline surveillance contractors for high spate of bunkering activities  in the area.
Disclosing this, chairman Board of  Trustee of OFSDF/ND, Mr Richard Abbey, said massive bunkering activities in the area have caused monumental damage to the environment and fishing activities.
Abbey challenged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to make public the pipeline surveillance contractors in charge of the NNPC Oloma flow station axis saying, it is evident that the ones contracted within the area has reneged or does not exist.
He said, “if the government has contracted anyone within the Oloma axis to safeguard NNPC pipelines, it then means some persons are defrauding the people of millions of naira meant for guarding pipeline within Oloma and other Bonny communities”.
Lamenting that some persons collect money on monthly basis in the name of surveillance, the OFSDF/ND boss regretted that pipeline vandals were taking undue advantage of the negligence to perpetrate vandalisation and illegal bunkering activities.
Abbey advised NNPC to help end the sabotage by contracting the surveillance job to fishermen and community members living within the flow station to form a more formidable security team to tackle the menace.
Similarly, resident Chief of Otokomabiri fishing community, Chief Lucky Williams, said his people were ready to partner with security agencies in providing needed information.
“We are ready to provide manpower to help fight this scorge if NNPC wants us to assist”,  he said, stressing that it was unfortunate that contractors were paid heavily to safeguard the pipelines but they never showed up at site.
A soil expert, Jeremiah Alaputa, said the spill in the area have negatively affected vegetation and that it would take about twenty years to restore lost vegetation.
The expert cautioned that NNPC should ensure regular patrol within the flow station and Okolo lodge to stall bunkering and attendant fire break out.
In a related development, as part of measures to scale-up its war on pipeline vandalisation and bunkering, the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) has established community cells to enlist support of host commuities.
Acting state Commandant of NSCDC, Christina Abiakam-Omanu made the disclosure in a chat with pressmen in Port Harcourt recently shortly after a meeting with Association of Licensed Security Practitioners of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter.
Abiakam-Omanu said the measure has become necessary because security agencies cannot alone win the war in checking pipeline vandalism, which according to her was having a big toll on the country’s economy.
“ We have been having meetings with community leaders and in some places we have established cell units. The essence is to ensure that communities that paly host to oil installations support us in the fight to check vandalisation” she said.
The Rivers State Civil Defence Commandant revealed that since a month ago when she assumed office, she has beefed-up efort to check bunkering in some parts of the state.
Addressing members of licensed security practioners earlier, she stressed the need of synergy in boosting security at the grassroots, especially as the yuletide approaches.
The Civil Defence helmswoman in Rivers State observed that private security guards have a very important role to play in boosting the nation’s security status, “ if there is any clue that can help us please let us know” she charged them.
She also charged them to rid themselves of quacks, warning that the NSCDC will invoke it powers to seal-off security companies not licensed or trained by them.
The Civil Defence Commandant advised owners of security firms to always take the welfare of their employees seriously, “ there must be a good working relationship for the Directors and the guards” maintaining that it is crucial for effective security operations.

Chris Oluoh