*Approves Odidi Community Jetty Construction
DELTA State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has ordered immediate medical intervention and urgent measures to tackle the devastating impact of the oil spill along the Trans-Forcados pipeline, saying the state government would not allow affected communities to suffer unnecessarily.
Oborevwori said the situation had become too serious to be treated casually, adding: “We have to take this matter seriously. Once you see what is happening, you realise that it is a very big issue.
“We don’t want our people dying at this time. We cannot afford to lose our focus or waste time. We have to act quickly and decisively.”
Speaking during an inspection visit to Odidi community in Warri South-West Local Council, the governor directed the commissioner for Health to immediately deploy medical teams to affected communities to assess residents and determine the health implications of the pollution.
Oborevwori was accompanied by Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor; Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale; Commander, 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Asaba, Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Buhari; Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Warri, Commodore Shehu Tasiu; Commander, 3144 Operating Base, Nigerian Air Force, Warri, Group Captain Charles Abara; state Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Peter Afunanya; and other senior government officials.
He said the intervention would go beyond the distribution of relief materials, stressing that residents must be medically examined because of the possible health consequences of prolonged exposure to pollution.
He directed the operating company, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, to provide relief materials and also deploy medical team to visit the affected communities, assess the environmental and health impact and determine appropriate intervention.
The governor also demanded genuine dialogue between the oil operator and host communities, saying meaningful engagement was necessary to resolve the crisis and prevent further tension.
He assured the communities that his administration would continue to engage the relevant stakeholders until their concerns were addressed, while commending the security agencies for maintaining peace during the intervention.
Speaking to the affected residents, Oborevwori disclosed that while an initial assessment showed that about 86 communities were affected, the number had now risen to 216.
He stated that the operating company had assured government that technical process would be concluded and cleanup completed before the end of October, after which the affected communities would be engaged on compensation and other measures.
He said government would take necessary steps to ensure that commitments made by the company are honoured and appealled to the affected communities to remain peaceful and law-abiding, as government pursues the matter through dialogue and due process.
Oborevwori lamented that the pollution had severely affected fishing, the major source of livelihood for many residents, resulting in scarcity and increased prices of fish, saying the crisis was not merely about compensation, but about restoring the environment, protecting human lives and safeguarding the livelihoods of the affected people.
He approved the construction of landing jetty for Odidi Community and directed chairman of Warri South-West Local Government to build a modern health centre for the community, while charging the Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Peter Uviejitobor, and his Environment counterpart, Moses Ogodo, to monitor the timeline on his directives to the oil company and report back to him.
General Manager, Operations Integrity, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, Nelson Wilbert, said the company was committed to working with the state government, host communities, NUPRC and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis.
Wilbert said the immediate priority was to complete the ongoing technical operations, including installation, stop the spill and pressure testing, required to restore normal operations safely, adding that the company would work with regulatory authorities and affected communities to assess the environmental damage, clean up impacted areas and provide appropriate compensation.
President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Doubra Okotete, called for urgent action to halt the pollution, alleging that crude was still being pumped through leaking pipelines.
Okotete urged the authorities and oil operators to undertake comprehensive remediation and compensate affected residents, as well as increased medical support, particularly for residents suffering respiratory problems.
Chairman of Odidi Community, Truston Gbenekama, thanked the governor for the visit and appealled for a landing jetty, health centre, potable water and environmental reclamation of the community.
