Residents of Edjophe and
neighbouring communities in Okpare-Olomu, Ughelli South Local Government Area
of Delta on Wednesday decried the impact of oil spill on their communities.
They consequently
appealed to the Federal Government to come to their aid as their means of
livelihood were being destroyed by the oil spill.
The chairman of Edjophe
community, Mr College Akpoughegbe, who made the call in interview with newsmen
in Ughelli, said that the spillage emanated from a pipeline belonging to the
Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
He said that the incident
started on Friday, adding that it had spread to other communities like Iwhrekan
and Otor-Edo.
Akpoughegbe said that
spillage had affected farming and fishing activities in the affected
communities.
Akpoughegbe, who
attributed the development to equipment failure, alleged that the NPDC
officials in a self defence linked the oil spill to activities of saboteurs.
''The oil spill, which
started on Friday, has impacted severely on farming and fishing activities in
our communities.
''The spill emanated from
a pipeline belonging to the NPDC but they attributed it to activities of
saboteurs.
''Officials of NPDC,
Department of Petroleum Resource (DPR) and the Delta Government carried out a
JIV test on Tuesday to ascertain the cause of the spill but the result is not
available yet,'' he said.
One of the residents, Mr
Omonigho Edafe, a farmer, corroborated the chairman's view, saying that his
farmland was greatly affected by the oil spill.
Effort by the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) to get response from Mr Ugo Atugboko, External Relations
Officer of NPDC was unsuccessful, as he said in a text message that he was out
of the country.
''I can't pick your call,
kindly send me a text,'' Atugboko’s told NAN in a text message. (NAN)
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