Bayelsa Community Records Mystery Spill

 

Foropa Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa has reported a ‘mystery’ oil spill that left the coastline polluted.

Foropa Community is a fishing settlement along the Atlantic coastline in Bayelsa State.

According to a January 8 notification letter signed by Pastor Olabai Olozulu, traditional ruler of Foropa, Middleton the oil leak at the coastline was noticed on Jan. 3 and was addressed to the Head of Bayelsa Office of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital.

It was gathered on Wednesday that six oil firms operate within Foropa vicinity which include First E & P, Conoil Exploration, NEPL, Shell and Nigdel United Oil Company.

In their response, the community 

urged the regulatory agency and other government organs to trace the source of the spill and mitigate its impact on the predominantly fishing settlement urging the oil firms to mobilise relief materials to reduce the sufferings of the people.

Chukwuemeka Iheanacho, Head of NOSDRA in Bayelsa confirmed to a reporter that the agency was in receipt of the report and was planning a joint visit to the impacted site with all the oil companies operating in the area.

Iheanachor said a ‘Fingerprinting’ analysis of the crude samples from the site would reveal the operator whose facility discharged the crude into the environment.

“We are planning a Joint Investigation visit by next Tuesday. I am writing to all the operators within the area to send their representatives because samples will be collected for fingerprinting,” Iheanacho said.

Darius Sese, Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC) in Foropa noted that the incident has adversely impacted fishing in the area stating that fishermen no longer make catch since the spill occured as fishes have migrated deeper into the Atlantic waters away from the coastline.

Mystery spills refer to crude oil leaks from unknown sources where there are many oil firms operating near each other.