GASSING AN UNSUSPECTING COMMUNITY DESPATCHLINE

GASSING AN UNSUSPECTING COMMUNITY By

MURPHY AKIRI AND SEBASTIAN NKANGA HIGHLIGHT Two Persons Confirmed Dead as a Result of Gas Pollution in Ohoabu-Ndoki Community Local inhabitants Complain of breathing problems Local residents relocate as fear of possible fire outbreak looms.

INTRODUCTION Ohoabu-Ndoki Community is located in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The local inhabitants are predominantly fisher folks and subsistence farmers. The community, which has a population of about 10,000 people, is largely underdeveloped and lacks basic amenities, such as pipe born water, hospitals and electricity.

COMMUNITY'S FARMLANDS APPROPRIATED FOR GAS AND PIPELINES PROJECT ERA's investigations at Ohoabu-Ndoki Community reveals that the Nigerian Gas Company, in 1996, forcefully appropriated vast track of farmlands from Ohoabu-Ndoki Community and contracted Saipem, an Italian oil servicing firm, to build a liquefied gas station and pipelines on the land. Prime forests, sacred groves, and different cash crops were destroyed during the process of building the gas station and laying of pipelines, to be used to convey gas to other industrial complexes in the Niger Delta.

Local people interviewed by ERA Field monitors in the community explained that none of the community's members was compensated for the appropriation of their farmlands and the destruction of their crops and sources of livelihoods. They informed ERA that the community was neither consulted by the Nigerian Gas Company before the project started in 1996 nor shown any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted to ascertain the negative effect of the project on the local people.

Mr. Albert Nnah, a Community Leader in the area, informed ERA that when the local people attempted to protest the injustice in 1996, they were harassed and brutalised by security agents brought in by the Nigerian Gas Company. He explained that the community people were also warned by officials of the gas company to desist from making any compensation claims, since ownership of all community lands had reverted to the Federal Government of Nigeria by virtue of the Land Use Decree of 1979. According to the community leader, attempts by the local people to also put up claims for their crops destroyed in the farms were also rebuffed by the Nigerian Gas Company and other government agencies. LOCAL RESIDENTS SUFFER BREATHING PROBLEMS AS UNCLOSED VALVE RELEASES DANGEROUS GAS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE The gas station located in Ohoabu-Ndoki community is connected to several pipelines, used to convey industrial gas from the NNPC/ Shell industrial complex in Alakiri, River State to the Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State. Local people interviewed by ERA explained that the gas station and the connecting pipelines usually suffer leakages, thus resulting in the emission of dangerous gases into the atmosphere.

One of such leakages occurred on September 22, 2003. On that fateful day, some engineers and technicians from Saipem and the Nigerian Gas Company were said to have visited the community and immediately went straight into the gas station to carry out unknown assignment. Few minutes later, some noise started coming out of the gas station and the atmosphere was immediately taken over by pungent odour. Community members were said to have rushed to the gas station to find out what was happening.

At the gas station, it was discovered that the engineers and technicians had deliberately uncovered some valves inside the gas station, to enable them vent out some gas from the storage tank, which was said to be over-filled and was likely to cause explosion. Community people explained that the engineers and technicians later left the community without closing the opened valve. Since September 12, 2003, the unclosed valve has been releasing dangerous gas into the atmosphere, causing discomfort to local residents.

ERA's investigations in the community revealed that the engineers and technicians from Saipem and the Nigerian Gas Company only came back to the community after three weeks to try and closed the opened valve at the gas station. Community people also informed ERA that inspite of the work carried out on the said valve, the gas station is still releasing gas into the atmosphere. They explained that all effort aimed at getting the Nigerian Gas Company and other relevant government agencies to come and properly close the opened valve have not yielded any positive result. Some local people, who spoke to ERA, complained of acute breathing difficulties, bleeding nostrils and other ailments. They attributed their failing health situation to the dangerous gas being inhaled from the atmosphere and the psychological trauma, which the gas pollution has inflicted on them.

GAS POLLUTION CAUSES TWO DEATHS, LOCAL RESIDENTS RELOCATE FROM COMMUNITY. When ERA Field Monitor visited the community on the 12th of October 2003 to ascertain the prevailing situation, offensive odour of gas emanating from the unclosed valve hung thickly in the air. Many residents, carrying their belongings, were seen relocating from the community. Those who spoke to ERA Field Monitors explained that two people have already died as a result of breathing difficulty occasioned by the gas pollution. They lamented that inspite of the fact that the Nigerian Gas Company and the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly had been informed about the incident, no effort has been made to properly close the uncovered valve and save the community from the looming calamity.

The paramount ruler of the community, Chief Paul Nwagbara, informed ERA that the atmosphere is charged and that a devastating fire outbreak could occur if any inflammable substance is taking near the vicinity of the gas station. He explained that the fear of possible fire outbreak in the community is already causing the residents to escape to neighbouring villages. He appealed to the Nigerian Gas Company and other government agencies to quickly come and close the valve and possibly shut down the gas station.

ERA Field Monitors were later shown the fresh graves of two persons alleged to have died as a result of breathing problems, occasioned by the gas pollution. The names of those confirmed dead are Madam Esther Nwankwo and Master Uche Amadi.

As at the time of this report, several community members have taking ill as a result of the unabated gas pollution.

ERA'S RECOMMENDATIONS The Nigerian Gas company should take immediate steps to close the uncovered valve and stop the gas venting process. The Nigerian Gas Company and the Akwa Ibom State Government should urgently give medical attention to local people now complaining of breathing problems. The Nigerian Gas Company should pay adequate compensation to the families of those who died as a result breathing problems occasioned by the gas pollution The gas station should be shut down until a comprehensive EIA is conducted on the gas project.

WHAT YOU CAN DO Write a protest letter to the Nigerian Gas Company urging them to take immediate steps to close the uncovered valve. Write a letter to Nigerian Gas Company urging them to provide proper medical attention to the local people and pay adequate compensation to the families of the dead ones. Write a letter to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly urging members to take keener interest in environmental matters in their constituencies.

ADDRESSES The Speaker Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Udo Udoma Road, Uyo Akwa Ibom State Nigeria The Managing Director Nigerian Gas Company LTD Odin Road, Epkan PMB 1288 Delta State Nigeria

November 2003