Unsafe Operations: Itsekiri Communities to drag DPR, Tank Farm owners to court

Residents of a cluster of tank farm communities in Warri South Local Government Area in Delta State under the auspices of the Ubeji, Egbokodo and Ifie-Kporo Communities’ Residents Association have disclosed plan to drag Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR and owners of tank farms doing business in the area to court over perceived unsafe operations, Fresh Angle International can report.

Warri based rights’ activist and Counsel to the said association, Chief Robinson Ariyo, who made the disclosure in a statement, said his clients are unhappy about the operation of the tank farms in the area, which they believe falls far below the standard practice in the industry “thereby placing lives and properties of the people in the area at high risk”.  

He emphasized, “If you are familiar with Ubeji, Egbokodo, and Ifie-Kporo, you will know that there is just a singular access road ingress and egress the said cluster of communities, which road has been under construction for decades and designed for light vehicular and human traffics. However, same road is open and exposed to the huge heavy duty tankers of the tanker operators amongst the proposed Defendants to ply whimsically and capriciously conveying hundreds of thousands of litres of petroleum products on a routine and daily frequency. It is obvious to every reasonable man that the people of the area are compelled by the situation to live with this ticking bomb delivered to them by the said operations.”

According to Chief Ariyo Robinson, the Intending Plaintiffs have already caused to be issued and served on the relevant Federal Government Agencies, the statutory notices required for commencement of any legal action of this nature.

He said further that at the expiration of the period stipulated in the said notice which is a period of one month, the action would be instituted to seek amongst other remedies:           

a.    An Order of Court declaring the operations of the Proposed 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Defendants (i.e. Matrix Energy Limited, Bluefin Energy Limited, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited , AYM Shafa Limited and  A & E Petroleum Limited) in the circumstances of this case as unsafe, unhealthy, and below the standards prescribed by the  relevant statutory and policy guidelines.

b.    An Order of Court declaring as inadequate and sub-standard, the performance of the Federal Agencies in charge of the supervision of the operations in the circumstances of this case with regards to their duties as stipulated in the relevant statutory and policy guidelines.

c.    An Order of Injunction restraining the Proposed 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Defendants (i.e. Matrix Energy Limited, Bluefin Energy Limited, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, AYM Shafa Limited and  A & E Petroleum Limited)  from further operating their facilities in issue and relating to this case pending compliance with the relevant statutory and policy guidelines; which compliance must be determined by the Federal Agencies in charge of the supervision of the operations to the satisfaction of the Court.

d.    An Order of Court directing the Federal Agencies in charge of the supervision of the operations  to disclose the report of the Environmental Impact Assessment leading to the issuance of the relevant permits to the tank owners and operators in the circumstances of this case. 

Executive Members of the association who were authorized to institute the action at its general meeting called for the purpose include: Tosanwumi Theophillus, Bafor Frank Ogbitse Uromieyaghan, Luke Esanye Ariyoh, Kennedy Ugbameta, Engr. Sunny Demi-Ejegi, Angela Uku, Oritseweyinmi Agbonekuya Aginejuone, Tanimowo Michael, Austin Aghogin and Wilson Olley.

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