Monarch Expresses Concern as Ogale Grapples with Fresh Oil Spill

 


By Nwafor Oji Awala

 

The Paramount Ruler of Ogale and Oneh-eh Nchia X of Eleme in Rivers State, His Royal Highness, Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi has expressed concern over the oil spillage that occurred in Ogale last week. The monarch expressed concern that the pollution from oil spills continued to make life unbearable for the people of Ogale.



 

“The Ogale people continue to suffer under perpetual pollution from Shell. A fresh spill occurred a few days ago and spread into our farmland, close to a location where Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, is carrying out remediation works” the monarch said and added that “Shell representatives were here in my palace two days ago, and they accepted responsibility for the oil spill.” 

Emere Okpabi who said this while briefing newsmen at his Obarijima Palace on Friday emphasized that Shell operations has brought so much misery, anguish and pain to Ogale over the years, adding that “Our water has been polluted by benzene. When you fetch it, you will see oil all over the water which makes it unfit for consumption. We can’t even cook with it.”



 

Emere Bebe Okpabi regretted that the recent oil spill, like other repeated spills in the past that rendered land and water useless in Ogale, was the reason for the ongoing legal battle between Ogale Community and the Royal Dutch Shell in the United Kingdom.

“The people of Ogale are in court in the United Kingdom with Royal Dutch Shell. We moved with Shell through technicalities of the court system in that country to the supreme court. UK Court of Appeal has given a definite order that the trial should begin on the 13th of this month. It is to be a four-week trial. Now this has happened! Shell again” the monarch lamented.









 

It was confirmed that a recent crude oil spill happened in Ogale on Monday, February 3, at the shell manifold. The crude flowed freely from the manifold after it filled the underground pits, to the pipeline right-of-way that separated Lot-1 of the UNEP-recommended Cleanup Project of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

 

Nwafor Awala

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