The House of Representatives has directed the Federal Ministry of Environment, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and the Nigerian Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA) to as a matter of urgency begin cleanup of the recent Oil Spillage in Rivers State.
The areas in particular are Ogale, Eteo, Aleto, Akpajo, Agbonchia, Okpaku and Alesa Communities in Eleme Local Government area of Rivers State.
This resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Felix Uche Nwaeke at a plenary on Wednesday.
Nwaeke noted that “in the past three weeks there has been a series of oil spillage in Ogale, Eteo, Aleto, Akpajo, Agbonchia, Okpaku and Alesa Communities in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.”
According to him, “the spill is from several points of a facility operated by the NNPC/SPDC/Total Energies/NAOC Joint Venture in the Eleme- Ogoni axis of Rivers State.”
The lawmaker expressed concern that the spillage which affected residential houses, farm lands, streams and surrounding waters in the communities have left the people stranded as their homes and farms are covered in crude oil.
“Worried that if nothing is done to stop these recurring spillages as well as clean up the environment immediately, the people will suffer severe hardship owing to the loss of their farmlands, crops, homes and water sources,” Nwaeke said.
The House adopted the motion and mandated the Committee on Host Communities (when constituted) to investigate the cause of the recurring oil spillage in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State and report back within 4 weeks for further legislative action.
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