Business
SPDC Raises Alarm Over Clean Up Frustration
Potential retirees of Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies under the Contributory Pension Scheme after their annual pre-retirement workshop in Abuja, yesterday.
The Shell Petroleum De
velopment Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has raised alarm that the leadership of Edagbiri Betterland Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State is frustrating efforts to clean up the oil leak from its sabortaged oil well in the area.
SPDC Spokesman, Joseph Obari, who raised the alarm in a statement, said the oil firm’s Adibawa-Well-8 in the Eastern Niger Delta was attacked by vandals in an attempt to steal the oil well head.
According to the company spokesman, the activities of the vandals led to a spill in the environment which was reported on July 12 2015.
He said the leak was stopped on July 15 but regretted that attempts to carry out the statutory Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) on July 16 and 17 to determine the circumstances surrounding the spill, particularly the cause and extent of the leakage have been unsuccessful.
Obari alleged that the leadership of Edagbiri Betterland community prevented representatives of the industry’s regulatory agencies, the Rivers State Ministry of Environment and SPDC from accessing the site for containment and needed crude oil recovery operations.
He explained that without the JIV, the company could not carry out badly needed repairs or proceed to clean up and remediate the site.
Apart from the loss, the continued stay of the spilled crude oil on the land is hazardous and could as well result in fire out break which may cause further damage to the area.
Chris Olouh
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.