Community gives FG, oil firm ultimatum over oil spill compensation

The people of Agge and its neighbouring communities along the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean around Ramos River and its estuaries (mid-Stream of Bayelsa and Delta States) have threatened to shut down the crude oil export operations of an oil firm, Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company if the compensation issue being handled by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA is not dealt with as a matter of urgency.

Chairman of Agge Community, Stephen Fiyepade who led his Vice, Joseph Gbibor, Secretary, Jacob Wuku and a representative of the traditional council, Chief Roman Macauly to the agency's zonal office in Warri handed down the warning during a tripartite peace meeting held Monday April 28 between the communities, NOSDRA officials and representatives of Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company - SEEPCO.

The community leaders who frowned at the delay in the payment of compensation following two oil spill incidences in the community in 2013, called on NOSDRA to facilitate the payment of compensation so that people of Agge and its environs can recover from huge losses to their basic economic activities of fishing, as a result of damaged fishing materials and consistent pollution from the operations.

They alleged that all efforts to get the company to pay for the compensation after series of JIVs’ and damage assessment proved abortive, as they have continually found one reason or the other to cause delays, including the recent claims that they were awaiting the agency's final report. 

In a chat with Chief David Omaghomi, the Government and Community Affairs Manager - Marine Operations for Sterling Oil, he explained that his company had complied with all global best practiced options available to them at the time and in such a difficult terrain.

According to him, "we have further gone through the mandatory reporting, clean-up & remediation of the Impacted sites, provision of relief materials and free medical screening exercise stages under the guidance of all concerned government bodies and whilst commending NOSDRA for their most professional handling of the incidences, we urge the agency to expedite action for an early close-out of this matter and we likewise wish to appeal to the communities to exercise patience and allow due process to be followed, as NOSDRA remains the only arm of Government with the exclusive powers and jurisdiction to handle all oil spill related issues in Nigeria.

Chief David Omaghomi making a remark during a meeting held at NOSDRA Zonal Office in Warri, Delta State Monday April 28, 2014

The Zonal Director of NOSDRA, Warri - Mr. Bunmi Akindele who presided over the meeting on behalf of the Director General, Chief Executive Officer of NOSDRA, Sir Peter Idabor appealed to the people of Agge and their neighbouring communities to exercise patience, promising that the agency is seriously addressing the issue.

He further averred that though there were teething challenges, the gains of proper environmental responsibility on the part of oil operators would always be beneficial to them on the long run as it will prevent such sanctions or fines from regulators as enshrined in the NOSDRA act and undue pressure from communities, based on natural polluter - pays - principles.

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