AKWA IBOM, Nigeria – No fewer than 27 coastal communities of Akwa Ibom State have been thrown into mourning and panic following a fresh oil spill allegedly by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited Offshore facility which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, in the Ibeno Local Government Area of the state.
The affected communities include Inua Eyet Ikot, Iwuo Ukpom, Mkpanak, Esuk Ikim Akwaha, Esuk Ikim Ekeme (Nta Ikang), Itak Idim Nekpe, Itak Ifaha, Ndito Eka Iba, Atia, Okposo I & II, New Barracks, Ineh Atian, Itak Ibang, Upenekang and Okoro Itak, reports The PUNCH.
Others include Iwuochang, Ikot Inwang, Okoro Utip, Ntafre, Atabre Ikan, Idung Abasi Okure, Qua Iboe River, Iwuo Ukpo Opolom, Ineh Ebot, Ineh Ikwe, Ineh Ukpana and Ntungo Akata.
Stakeholders of the affected communities confirmed the development and shared photos and videos of the devastation with our correspondent in Uyo on Saturday.
One of the stakeholders who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation by the internal collaborators told The PUNCH Metro that the spill polluted the water bodies of the affected communities, killing fishes, fingerlings and other aquatic animals and seafood.
While noting that neither the staff of the spiller –Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited nor any government regulatory agency had yet to visit the site nor made any statement on the matter, he called on the government to immediately intervene by conducting a damage assessment for payment of compensation to the affected communities to alleviate their sufferings.
“Communities in Ibeno, ONNA, Eket, Esit Eket, and other riverine Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom States have suffered destruction and damage caused them following the incident that occurred in the early hours of Thursday, August 16, 2024.
“The massive spill affecting the aforesaid coastal communities have polluted water bodies, killing fishes, fingerlings and other aquatic animals and seafoods, destruction to fishing gears, obstructing mobility and other associated fishing activities, being the means of livelihood of the people.
“As of the time of this report, neither the staff of the Spiller – (Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited) nor any government regulatory agency was seen at the site nor made any statement on the matter.
“It is feared that if the government does not intervene promptly, the matter may be swept under the carpet as it has usually been done in the past.
Reacting to our correspondent on Saturday night, the Public Affairs Manager of ExxonMobil, Mr Ogechukwu Udeagha, said, “There is no operational upset from any of our facilities.”
He said NOSDRA is the government agency that determines whether there is a spill or not, adding that if there was a spill, it would also determine whose oil it was because every cruel oil has a marker (a signature.)
He added that it is when this was determined that one would know which of the operators owns the spill.
According to him, “NOSDRA is the government agency that determines whether there is a spill or not, and if there is a spill. It will also determine whose spill it is because every cruel oil has a signature, a marker. Every operator has a distinct signature or a marker. So, NOSDRA will determine that and now know whether there was a spill and whose spill it is, if there was a spill.
“It’s not by hearsay or by the communities saying it. I understand that ExxonMobil is a big operator, everybody wants to say ExxonMobil, ExxonMobil, but there are other operators and those operators were part of the Joint inspection visit to the place on Friday.
He said the logical thing was to wait for NOSDRA to release a report of their inspection to know if there was a spill or not, which of the operators had it, and that operator is obliged to clean up.
