Posted by By Emma Amaize & Emma Arubi on
Warri - THE people of Onyobru community in Jesse clan, Ethiope West local government area of Delta state have demanded the sum of N300 million.....
Warri - THE people of Onyobru community in Jesse clan, Ethiope West local government area of Delta state have demanded the sum of N300 million as compensation from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for the oil spillage in the community, a forthnight ago, which resulted in the damage of their farmlands, destruction of cassava, yams and other agricultural products.
The community in a letter to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, jointly signed by four of its leaders: Chiefs Owhoguonor Onorhevwe, Currency Emebrahadu, Magic Egwese and Udi Ekpo, said the oil spillage was caused by the obsolete pipe of the corporation, which got burst and spilled out crude oil that eventually damaged 'all our crops beyond imagination".
According to the community in a two-page letter, 'It is pertinent to hear (sic) that two weeks ago, the Onyobru water side river was flooded with dead fishes floating onto the shore of our River banks. The same time, our farmers who went to their normal farming work were astonished when they got to their respective farm land only to find their crops such as cassava, yams, coco yams and other products have been flooded with crude oil as a result of an obsolete pipe that got burst spilling out crude oil, which eventually damaged all our crops beyond imagination".
The community told the NNPC boss that it had over- time, made several reports on the bad situation of the pipeline to the NNPC, Warri.
Noting that the damage caused the community by the oil spillage was not quantifiable; it said the N300 million compensation being demanded was merely to assuage the loss, as the people also want the company to build for them a cottage hospital to ameliorate the crushing effect of the unexpected disaster.
'We are also demanding that at least 10 graduates from this community be employed by the NNPC. Besides, security measures should be in place for safety purposes. Also, the Onyobru community is demanding that as a matter of urgency, a bore-hole of 10 inches pipe size be drilled with an over-head tank size of about 100,000 gallons of water be installed in Onyobru waterside", they said.
When Vanguard visited the site at the community, the ruptured point has been clamped already by officials of the Product and Pipelines Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of NNPC even as community youths were seen clearing the large expanse of affected land, a job given to them by the NNPC according to a youth leader who pleaded anonymity.
All efforts to speak with the Area Manager of the PPMC in Warri, Alhaji Yar Adua, proved futile as he was said to be in a meeting.