Community Berates NAOC Over Environmental Hazard

The people of Obagi Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have raised alarm over alleged environmental hazard being constituted by Idu-ogba flow station operated by Nigeria Agip Company (NAOC).
The Paramount Ruler of the community, Eze Abella Benson, who raised the alarm in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said the huge quality of gas being flared and attendant soot caused by the operation of the company resulted to strange diseases.
The royal father who stressed the need for the firm to reduce the negative effects of their operations for the health of the people alleged that efforts to get the management of the firm to address the situation had not changed things.
He decried the operations of the firm in the area, stressing that the company never showed interest to development issues concerning the community.
Benson said for over a decade, NAOC has refused to review the Memorandum of Understanding with his people, a situation which he said the firm capitalised to deny the people numerous opportunities.
According to him, a health centre which the firm embarked in Obagi has not been completed 10 years after it was started.
He urged the firm to emulate Total E&P Nigeria which the royal father said executes community development programmes.
“Operations of Total in Obagi is a good development to the people. It has attracted serious development, hundreds of employment opportunities, scholarship, skills acquisition, building of schools, markets etc, but Agip is opposite of Total in terms community development”.
“I commend Total for the good work it is doing in Obagi and urge the management to sustain it while to Agip, let the management review the GMoU and carry the people along”, he said.

Chris Oluoh