Communities want Shell to pay compensation over oil spill
(Nigeria) Mr Amoma-Francis Monday, Leader/Coordinator, All Communities
affected by Shell Bonga Oil Spill in Niger Delta, on Thursday in Warri, Delta State called
for compensation for the communities affected by the oil spill.
Monday made the call after a team of experts from the
Federal Ministry of Environment and Health concluded their findings on the
impact of the Shell Bonga oil spill.
He told News Agency of Nigeria that the 2011 oil spill had
brought about different ailments and untold hardship resulting in increased
death of people living in 800 communities along the coastal belt.
Monday said that the situation prompted the group to draw
the Federal Government’s attention to the affected communities.
``It was our letter that prompted the Federal Ministry of
Environment, Health, and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency
to send experts to verify our allegations,’’ he said.
The coordinator said that the experts were able to
administer 60,000 questionnaires on 80 out of the 800 communities along the
coast of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers to ascertain their challenges.
``We are supposed to administer 200,000 questionnaires but
because of logistics, we were able administer only 60,000 in six days and these
will be returned to government for evaluation. The aim of the exercise is to
draw government’s attention to the condition of the people living in the creeks
and direct shell company to mop up the environment.
``It is also to urge Shell to release relief materials to
the victims as directed by the National Assembly and also compensate them
accordingly,’’ Monday said.
Mrs Fumilayo Oyeyipo, Deputy Director, Environmental Health
and Sanitation Department, Federal Ministry of Environment said that the soil
and water samples collected would be taken to their laboratory for analysis.
Oyeyipo gave the people assurance of government’s readiness
to assist them and that the result of the analysis would be made known to the
public as soon as it was ready.
In a remark, Pa Holden Majebi, the community head of
Egboroke in Ogheye, Warri North Local Government Area in Delta, thanked the experts for the august visit.
Majebi said that his wards had been living in penury since
the oil spill and that the development had affected fishing, which was their
major means of livelihood.
He appealed to the Federal Government and Shell company to compensate
them.
Mr Clifford Kolo, a representative of Obogboro Community in
Warri North, urged the experts to not to doctor their analysis.
Also, a representative of Ugbebe community, Mr Felix
Olarenwaju, appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action to enable the
communities to get what they deserved.
Mr Anderson Uwawah, a former secretary of Ugborodo community
in Escravos, Warri South-West Local Government Area, called for the provision
of facilities such as schools, healthcare centres and potable water in the
communities.
Mr Jacob Ajuju, the Amanawei of Orobiri Community,
Kou-Kingdom in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa, commended the Federal
Government for its intervention and urged them to ensure that justice was done
in the investigation.
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