Residents of Amuokpokpor-Elume and its neighboring communities, both in Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas of Delta State, have decried the impact of oil spillage emanating from the facilities of Conoil Nigeria Limited.
The residents, in a peaceful protest on Monday in Sapele, called on the government at all levels to prevail on the management of the domestic oil firm to rectify the situation.
The affected communities included Amuokpokpor-Elume, Ologho, Elume, Okwelabra, all in Sapele Local Government Area, and Ekoko, Eroghor, Idjekporo, Mereje, Opuraja, all in Okpe Local Government Area of the state.
According to them, the oil spill from the leaking wellheads had led to the outbreak of waterborne and skin diseases in the various communities since the past few weeks.
They displayed fishing nets, cages, hooks, among others, soaked in crude oil and called for urgent attention by the company to ameliorate the situation.
The protesters, however, demanded the physical presence of the Managing Director of the oil firm to observe the spill and ensure honesty and transparency in its dealings.
Mr Christopher Obule, leader of the protesters and Chairman, Amuokpokpor Community, said crude oil and natural gas have been erupting into the communities’ river and nearby fishing settlements for the past weeks.
He said that the river that was polluted by the spill remained the only source of drinking water, cooking, bathing and farming activities for the local communities.
Obule described the river pollution as the worst disaster that had ever hit the affected communities since oil was discovered along the community Coastal line over 40 years ago and called on the relevant authorities to come to their rescue.
“Our only source of water is this river. All our aquatic animals have been killed by the pollution. This is clear wickedness by the oil firm to have left us to suffer for what we know nothing about.
“As we speak right now, some of our children that drank this water only survived just because of God’s love towards us.
“After drinking the water, they were rushed to the nearby community health centres where they were treated of cholera and skin infections.
“If urgent step is not taken by the company to address the situation, the possibility of the entire communities being wiped out by the water-borne and skin diseases is inevitable,” he said.
Also speaking, the Councillor representing Ward 18 in Sapele Council, Mr Sam Azu, called on government, corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to prevail on Conoil to do the needful.
According to him, the oil spill has stalled economic activities in the area for the past weeks, describing the incident as the worst disaster in the history of the communities.
The eldest man in Amuokpokpor-Elume community, Mr Smart Oghomedje, said the residents of the community are peasant fish farmers, that could no longer carry out their fishing activities as a result of the development
Efforts to reach the management of Conoil for comment was unsuccessful.