Nembe Oil spill: More facts have emerged over call to revoke AITEO operational license

 By Inegbagha Majesty

More facts have emerged over perpetual calls on the federal government and other relevant agencies to proscribe the operational license of AITEO Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO).

 

Checks revealed that the calls are as a result of the company’s incompetence and negligence to capping the Nembe crude oil and gas blowout spill at Santa Barbara well 1, OML 29, thus allowing the oil and gas spills for over one month; thereby wasting over 2 million barrels of hydrocarbon and gas, into the river, and devastated the entire environment and means of livelihood of the people.

Reliable source confided to Global Overseer that the same oil well has witnessed several oil spills in previous years, lamenting that the company always pays less attention to oil spills despite the magnitude of its effects to the human population and the ecosystem.

Our source ascribed the arrogance and the attitude of the management of the company toward incidents as a result of its joint Venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29.

This management attitude, our source said was also manifested by a publication in the dailies accredited to the firm’s Global Group Director/Coordinator Andrew Oru, allegedly camouflaging that the OML 29 Wellhead in the Santa Barbara South field in Nembe, Bayelsa State which blew up on November 3, 2021 is being pumped with chemicals that will contain further leakage.”

The firm’s Global Group Director/Coordinator also alleged that “the Bayelsa government had said that about two million barrels of crude had reportedly been spilled into the river, polluting the environment, thereby affecting biodiversity.

“The talk of two million barrels of oil spilling from the well is spurious. Two million barrels is about two supertankers. The oil would have spread over the entire country,” NAN quoted Oru as saying.  

But, our source asked “What would be the volume of an oil spill that is spewing out oil and gas for a period over one month?

Sources close to Global Overseer also accused AITEO of using media propaganda to shield its nefarious activities against its host communities since commencement of operations in the area.

Our source pointed out that the current incident borders on devastation due to a long period of accumulated oil and maximum pressure from piled up gas in the well, as AITEO lacks technical experts with the requisite technical competence to ensure frequent maintenance of (OML) 29 Wellhead 1, and professionally clamped.

Already, the Senate through a motion sponsored by Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo (Bayelsa East) asked the federal government and relevant agencies to penalise Aiteo for Nembe oil spill.

The senate in its unanimous resolution, says an oil spill from the Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited facility in Nembe, Bayelsa, is unacceptable.

Ahmad Lawan, president of the senate, said this on last Tuesday after the upper chamber passed a resolution on the spill incident.

Senator Ahmad Lawan, President of the senate

According to the statement, Lawan added that the national assembly will continue to insist that oil companies carry out their corporate social responsibilities to host communities in accordance with the law.

“I feel very sad that an indigenous oil company for that matter, would be involved in this kind of incident and yet not be able to show any capacity,” he said.

“As a country, we want to promote our local content to participate in this industry.

“But we are going to insist, whether it is an indigenous-owned company or an international one, that the companies must be responsible to the communities and to us as a nation.

“This is a devastation of lives and ecosystem in that part of the country.”

The senate president called on the federal government and its agencies to sanction oil companies responsible for the devastation of host communities where they conduct their operations.

“I believe that this particular case should be made to be an example of what government and its agencies can do, not only to force the alleged culprit to remedy the environment but also to penalise the oil company for devastating the lives of the people of that area (Nembe),” Lawan added.

The red chamber urged Aiteo to urgently deploy relevant technological mechanisms to stop the spill and prevent the continuous degradation of the environment.

The chamber called on the relevant agencies to conduct an environmental impact assessment to determine the extent of the pollution.

It is obvious that the Nembe oil spill’s impacts are wide-reaching and will likely have long-lasting effects on the physical, psychological, social, and economic as well as health of populations in the affected areas.

“The entire mangrove forests and aquatic life have been adversely affected by this methane gas, as rainbow-like sheens are seen on the water body around the point of the incident down to the shoreline.

Oil spill effects on environments and habitats can be catastrophic: they can kill plants and animals, disturb salinity/pH levels, pollute air/water and more.

Studies of biomarkers have uncovered irreparable harm to humans exposed to oil and gas from spills.

These effects can be grouped into respiratory damage, liver damage, decreased immunity, increased cancer risk, reproductive damage and higher levels of some toxics (hydrocarbons and heavy metals).