Akwa Ibom fishermen worry over delayed clean-up of oil spill

 

Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) had reported an oil spill at the Qua Iboe fields on Dec. 19, 2012 and pledged to clean-up the site immediately.

The fresh spill occurred when the oil firm is yet to finish the cleanup of the previous spill that reportedly discharged some 200 barrels of crude into the Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 9, 2012.

MPN had in a statement on Dec. 20, 2012 signed by its Communications Manager, Mr Nigel Cookey-Gam, confirmed receiving reports of the spillage.

The statement said: ``Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/MPN Joint Venture, confirms that on Dec. 19, community representatives notified the company of slight oiling on short sections of the shoreline of Ibeno, Akwa Ibom.

``MPN immediately deployed a team to inspect the site and samples of the oiling were taken for analysis to help determine the source.

``Sections of shoreline with any oiling will be cleaned immediately.’’

Rev. Samuel Ayadi, Akwa Ibom Chairman of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria, however, told newsmen in Ibeno on Monday that the cleanup of the coastline was yet to commence.

Ayadi said that checks by fishermen showed that the oil release from the facilities of Mobil had continued unabated.

“My Fishermen are still reporting that fresh oil still exists in the Atlantic Ocean; they say that the company is repairing their pipes and as a result of this now, the oil is coming everyday and they are using Teepol (Dispersant chemicals) to sink the oil.

“They went to confirm whether or not the cleanup has begun only to report back saying that they still see fresh oil everywhere on the surface of the water.

“Since then a lot of our fishermen have been very unhappy and we have even reported to the committee set up by the state government to come and do the post-impact assessment; since that time a lot of fishermen have found it difficult to feed their families.

“Many of the fishermen cannot fish because of the oil; now the prices of fish and crayfish have been increasing.”

He noted that prolonged exposure of the marine and coastal environment to crude oil was both toxic and injurious to their fishing vocation. 

Efforts to get the public affairs unit of Mobil to comment on the development proved abortive as the officials have failed to respond to e-mail enquiries and phone calls.

It will be recalled that oil spills were also recorded at the oil field in 2012 precisely on Aug. 13 and Aug. 24, respectively.