SHELL CRUDE OIL SPILLED IN ADIBAWA FLOWING STATION TWO YEARS AGO HAS TOTALLY DESTROYED THE MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD IN AHOADA WEST COMMUNITIES IN RIVERS STATE. In May, 2011 there was this reported case of crude oil spilled from Shell crude oil pipeline in one of the Shell locations in Adibawa flowing station into creeks, rivers, farm lands and completely destroyed and condemned food, water and all the means of livelihood in Adibawa flowing station Joinkrama No.4 and later spread across other communities in Joinkrama in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. The people of Joinkrama No.4 sued Shell for total clean up of their farm lands, creeks and rivers and adequate compensation should be paid to them in a respectable Federal High Court of Law Port Harcourt argued that the fault of the oil spilled is from Shell considering the fact that Shell failed woefully to maintain their oil facilities frequently for allowing their crude oil buried pipe to rust in the ground and burst knowing the amount of pressure crude oil exert why following through pipe under the ground. But, Shell argued and maintained their stand that the fault is not from them that they usually maintain their oil facilities on monthly basis and what caused the oil spilled is as a result of oil bunkerers, oil theft and sabotage on the part of the illegal oil dealers in Nigeria. The case linger and linger and later settled out of court. The terms and conditions in which the matter was settled was not made known to the common people in the communities and ever since then, life has not remain the same again as it used to be in the past. The downtroddens in the Communities are bitterly suffering till date and no helper. This is two plus, so many fishes in the rivers have died, water contaminated with crude oil spilled, farm lands completely diverstated and condemned crops, cassava, fruits, green leafs, yams, Beans, Rice, water melon etc as a result of this Shell crude oil spilled in Adibawa flowing station. The settlement of the oil spilled Shell company had with the people of Joinkrama No.4 community did not go round to the real people in the communities that whose farmlands were truly affected by the oil spilled. Shell used what is called divide and rule method to settle the oil spilled saga in J.K 4 and the settlement actually went through the hands of few persons who have long legs in J.K4 Community and left the entire masses suffering and dying in hunger and starvations as well as and suffering from one sickness to the other. Since two years ago this oil spilled ugly incident occurred in J.K 4 community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State normal lifestyle has not been restored back to the Community because Shell settled just few persons in the Community and left the entire Community, their rivers, creeks and farm lands with Shell crude oil spilled without proper cleaning of the environment till date. Since there are no other place to relocate to for safety purpose on the part of the poor masses in Joinkrama, the poor masses are still there in J.K4 Community and other neighboring Communities in Joinkrama drinking, farming and fishing in those contaminated environment with Shell crude oil spilled and this is presently causing serious health challenges to the poor masses in Joinkrama Communities and up till date, Shell has refused to show concern for the welfare, upkeep and betterment of the poor masses in Joinkrama Communities. May I at this juncture, invite the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers State Commissioner for Environment Hon. Oyema Walie, Rivers State Commissioner for health Dr. Samson Parker, Minister for Environment, Minister for health, President GoodLuck Jonathan, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Chairman of primary health care Rivers State, Environmental Rights Action A.K.A Friends of the Earth (E.R.A) Social Action, Non Governmental Organizations, Community Based Organizations, Civil Society Organizations to please quickly come to the aid of this age long suffering masses in Joinkrama Communities in Ahoada West L.G.A of Rivers State by compelling Shell by all means possible to go back to those Communities in Joinkrama settle and compensate them adequately in order to save them from unnecessary sicknesses, diseases and untimely death. Signed by: Citizen Journalist OWOLO SANTOS OWOLO writing from Port - Harcourt Phone NO: 08063512785 E-mail: Owolosantos @ yahoo
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:21:26 +0000
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