Bayelsa communities lament lack of amenities, accuse oil companies of causing spillage !! bayelsa news

Bayelsa communities lament lack of amenities, accuse oil companies of causing spillage

 Two communities in Bayelsa state, Ikarama and Kalaba, have expressed sadness over neglect they suffered from oil companies in the areas - The communities also raised accusing fingers at oil producing companies, saying they are responsible for oil spillage and pipeline vandalisation - 

They called on government to provide them with basic amenities, adding that oil spillage has damaged water in the communities Possible crisis is brewing in Ikarama and Kalaba, two oil communities in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa state, as people of the communities accused unemployed youths and and some multinational companies of vandalising oil pipelines and causing spillage in the area. 

Vanguard reports that the residents of the communities said the consistent spillage has polluted water in the environments, in a development that has resulted to outbreak of diseases. Legit.ng gathers that the residents, calling on government to intervene on the issue, also accused the oil companies in the communities of using security operatives to intimidate them upon protesting the plight.

 a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Expressing their sadness to the Netherlands ambassador to Nigeria, Robert Petri, who was on a fact-finding visit, the people of the two communities lamented lack of portable water in the area. They appealed to the ambassador to talk to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to provide them with potable water, electricity and other basic amenities required for survival. Addressing the oil spillage issue in the community, the traditional leader of, Ikarama community, Chief Harbertson Lamie, attributed the development to neglect from oil companies in the area. He said: “For me, the number one problem in Ikarama is the fact that Shell has totally neglected this community. When there is problem and the leaders of the community want to tell them the way out of the problem, Shell would rather worsen the problem. “But the most disturbing problem we have is oil spillage in Ikarama community. We have oil spillage problem and this problem is caused by Shell staff. Go and do your investigation, make your research; Shell is mostly the cause of oil spill in Ikarama community. "So because the staff, the peripheral staff in particular; use the boys in the community (bad boys) to cause havoc. “If you move to most of the places within the community now, we cannot breathe well; the odour is much. Like this house here (pointing), just take a stroll there and you see crude oil everywhere. So, Shell is the problem.” Ambassador Petri, replying to the demand of the local residents, assured that everything would be brought back to the right track. He said: “The things you have tabled are well noted and they are also understood. So what we would do, we would take the situation back to Abuja where we come from and we will share this experience, this information with Shell and with the government. That is what I can say right now. “I like to thank you for your openness. I understand your problems and we will see what we can discuss about these problems back in Abuja. I am very happy that you were really saying what you wanted to say. And I have heard you, loud and clear.” Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1208876-bayelsa-communities-lament-lack-amenities-accuse-oil-companies-causing-spillage.html