Oando’s recurring oil spills devastate environment in Ogboinbiri community

Mkpoikana Udoma

Port Harcourt — Ogboinbiri community is in crisis as recurring oil spills from Oando Plc’s Ogboinbiri/Tebidaba pipeline in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, continue to wreak havoc on the environment and the livelihoods of local residents.

The latest spill, which occured more than a week ago, is the fourth of such incident since Oando took full control of the assets and pipeline operations after Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, divested its shares in the joint venture.

Community members have raised the alarm over the spills, which have now become a monthly occurrence, causing severe destruction to the area’s farmlands, waterways, and local economy.

According to Bosin Izonakpo, a native of Ogboinbiri, the first spill occurred on 5 September 2024, followed by two more in October 2024, which left the community reeling from both environmental destruction and economic loss.

Izonakpo said the most recent spill which occured on November 15th, 2024, has spread crude oil across vast agricultural lands and creeks, leaving local farmers and fishermen devastated.

“We want to tell everybody, including the government, that the spill is massive. These spills that have taken place within this year have been really massive and devastating. If you can come to Ogboinbiri and see the environment, you will see the damage it has done to the environment, including the aquatic environment.

“When there is flood, this entire (pipeline) environment is covered with water. So, it really has affected the aquatic environment and also plants within the impacted areas. We used to have a lot of farms. But since this pipeline came and the spills continued, we have not been able to farm.”

Izonakpo added that the community’s fishing and farming industries, once vital to its economy, have been crippled by the ongoing spills.

“Even if you farm, the yields are not encouraging, very poor harvest. When you come for fishing during the flood, the catch would be poor because crude oil has chased away the fishes from the environment. And this has affected the local economy and livelihood of the indigenes of the community. So, everything possible should be done to clean up the impacted environment and pay damages.”

Similarly, Mr. Esinkumor Richard, another community member lamented that the situation was dire.

“The whole environment has been polluted. Investigation showed that it is an equipment failure related incident. So, it means that Oando has work to do. They should come and clean up, pay compensation, and then they should try as much as possible to repair their pipelines and other facilities because it cannot continue like this. The people are suffering.”

Richard further lamented the growing hardship caused by the spills, saying, “The proceeds of the crude oil and gas are feeding the whole Nigeria and then a few individuals who are hosts to oil installations would be suffering all these negative effects. As it stands, it has affected our means of livelihood due to the pollution. We are now hungry. Oando should rise up to their responsibilities and do the needful. Otherwise, when the people rise up in anger, they should not blame anybody.”

Meanwhile, the Environmental Defenders Network, EDEN, has strongly condemned the ongoing environmental degradation and called for immediate action from Oando.

Executive Director of EDEN, Chima Williams, also admonished government regulatory bodies at the Federal and State levels to ensure proper cleanup, remediation and replacement of aged pipelines.

“EDEN’s field report confirmed that the most recent spill was caused by equipment failure, a recurring issue, as three of the four spills recorded in the area were linked to faulty infrastructure. Despite these repeated incidents, EDEN noted that previous spills have yet to be fully cleaned up, with only the crude oil being recovered and no effective remediation efforts undertaken.

“Oando must take adequate steps to clean up the present spill site and all previously impacted environments. They must also replace the aged oil-bearing pipes within the environment to prevent further spills and degradation.”

Williams also called on federal and state government regulatory bodies to ensure proper cleanup, remediation, and the replacement of old pipelines to prevent future spills and urged the people of Ogboinbiri to remain vigilant and continue to demand environmental justice from both Oando and the Nigerian government.