‘Abua Oil Spill, Not Caused By Sabotage’

L-R: Acting Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr Victor Muraako, representative of Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Lawan Ahmed, Chairman of Taraba FRC, Mr Benjamin Ibisu and Acting Head, Directorate of Legal, Investigation and Enforcement of FRC, Mr Charles Abana, during a workshop on Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 in Abuja, yesterday

The recent oil spillage
in Emago-Kugbo Community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, has been blamed on old facilities that lacked maintenance and not sabotage as claimed by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), owners of the ruptured pipeline.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the LGA, Chief Onekuotor Ukwe, made this position known when the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mrs Ibaniba Briggs-Iti delivered relief materials to people affected by the oil spill, recently.
He said the old facilities attracted the inferno that engulfed the area, adding that clamping also contributed to the disaster.
While thanking the Rivers State Government for its finally intervention, Ukwe called on the oil company to always carry out periodic inspection of its facilities in order to prevent future occurrence.
In her speech, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, said the gesture was part of the Wike-led administration’s effort to reach out to distressed people in the state.
Briggs-Iti, was of the view that the present government was people friendly, hence the need to address the plight of the Emago-Kugbo community.
She also called on the people to make the best use of the items and funds so as to compliment government’s efforts.
According to her, the people’s welfare was also key to the present leadership in the state, while calling for support for the government in order to enable it do more.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Government through the Ministry of Special Duties donated materials worth millions of Naira to the Emago-Kugbo community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area, in order to assist victims of the recent fire incident that engulfed the area due to leakage from pipelines belonging to Agip Oil Company.

King Onunwor/Igechi Ogbonda