Bayelsa Community Lauds NGO, Media Over Advocacy

The Imiringi community in
Bayelsa State, has commended  an NGO, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN),  for campaigning  against the laying  of gas pipelines  on the surface of the Kolo River by Shell Petroleum Development Company.
The spokesperson of the community, Chief Ranami Afagha, gave  the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Imiringi, Ogbia Local Government Area.
Afagha also commended the media for bringing to the fore the community’s  opposition of the project, saying that the advocacy forced  Shell to remove the pipelines  and lay them underwater.
Shell  in February 2016 laid  its Kolo Creek-Soku gas pipelines on the surface of Kolo River.
The blockage hindered the people from navigating the river and fishing in it, a situation that resulted in the  wide condemnation of the project.
In response to the people’s agitation, the Anglo-Dutch oil company removed the pipes from the water surface and buried them underwater.
The spokesperson said that laying the pipes underwater had enabled the people to freely navigate and fish in the river.
“Last year, Shell awarded a contract for the construction of a gas pipeline from Koko Creek to Soku in Rivers State to a company called Nestoil.
“Unfortunately, rather than burying the pipes under the water, the company decided to run the gas pipeline across the surface of the river. “ This caused a lot of problems for  us.
“We complained to Shell and its contractors to no avail. In November, 2016, ERA/FoEN commenced advocacy for the removal of the pipes on our behalf.
“The advocacy and the media coverage have yielded a positive result. The company has corrected its mistake.
“We appreciate the support of the NGO and the media in publicising the anomaly and having it corrected,” he said.