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SPDC OIL BLOW-OUT HEIGHTENS FAMINE CRISIS IN OGONILAND: KPEAN, KHANA GOVERNMENT COUNCIL, OGONILAND, RIVERS STATE
HIGHLIGHTS - "Worst environmental tragedy in recent times", says expert - "Ogoniland is finished" - Spin - doctors let loose on the local population. "Ogoniland is finished. The entire rivers and streams are all covered with crude oil. A lot of children and women now are complaining of respiratory difficulties and instant reaction from the crude oil sites". - Mr. Loveday Nwieleghi Youth Leader "Two plots of my cassava farm (due for harvest) near the affected spot are destroyed completely. And I am a widow with 5 children" - Mrs. Cecilia Uebari "I was informed just this morning (May 8, 2001). So, this is what Shell has done? Ken Saro-Wiwa said it; Shell and the Nigerian government killed him. What will I do now that 2 plots of my farmlands are devastated" - Mr. John Gbebe "Any time I pass by this road covered with the crude to go to school my eyes are always smarting and my skin itches." - Miss Olole Mary 7 years old girl "Even our farmlands and streams in Kono Community are destroyed too. The farmlands are destroyed. My husband died a few years ago leaving me to suffer and bear the burden of caring for 2 children." (she broke down and wept) - Mrs. Stella D. Wiifa "All the farmlands destroyed with new and old cassava farms, will cause the worst food famine to hit Ogoniland this year" - Mr. Deeban Kinako "In the history of oil spills, blowouts or explosions in the Nigeria's oil belt - Niger Delta. This Kpean blow-out is the worst environmental tragedy." - Mr. Kingsley Kpea Environmental Scientist INTRODUCTION Kpean is an Ogoni rural Community. Kpean is an agrarian community with rich vegetation. It is administratively located in the Khana Local Government Council of Rivers State. It is about 50 minutes drive from Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State. The community is linked to other communities in the Ken - Khana Kingdom like Baen, Kono, Kwiwa, Bere, Buan, Duburo, Gure, Lubara, Pue, Tenama and Willyaakara through the popular MATESIRI and MAATEYOR Rivers. BRIEF ON EXPLOSIONS, BLOWOUTS AND SPILLS IN OGONILAND Major environmental disasters which left the ecology devastated and the population impoverished has taken place in Ogoni. Such environmental tragedies now turned Ogoniland, which was once; a placid rural community of prosperous farmers and fishermen into a home of impoverished people, and an ecological wasteland reeking with hydrocarbon and other dangerous chemicals from Shell's aged pipes/pipelines. The farmlands, forests and swamps, creeks and water- holes are poisoned by indiscriminate oil spills and blowouts. The following are records of such incidents, with its devastating consequences: Eleme - Ejamah - Ebubu Explosion 1970, Gokana - K - Dere flow state blow-out 1973, Eleme - Ogale manifold spill 1993 and 1995, Tai - Botem Explosion 1994, Khana- Yorla explosion 1995 and Kpean 1999, Gokana - Bodo West Spill, 1999 and Khana - Kpean-Yorla Explosion 2001. WELL 10 BLOWOUT, "THE PRICE OF OIL" Kpean Community is now a flash point of ecological danger. On Thursday July 22, 1999 at Well 16, just a few metres away from Well 10 (the site of the present explosion), a gas fire occurred as a result of wear and tear of two bolts which gave rise to a noxious gaseous/smoke emission from the affected facility. The volatile mix produced a major fire. Although, the fire was put off through the combined efforts of the local people and Rivers State Government, the people have been living with a constant dread of a possible major conflagration. On Sunday April 29, 2001 at about 9.30 a.m. a huge explosion took place at the Well 10 facility (Yorla Oil Field) and the affected facility rained crude oil sporadically for days into adjacent farmlands, settlements, steams, swamps, lakes and rivers. Mr. Jollyboy Olole (an eyewitness) told ERA that, he was inspecting his cassava crops on that fateful Sunday when the explosion occurred. He said, the crude rained into his eyes. Up to the time of the report no medical attention has been given to victim. NEGATIVE IMPACTS ERA field investigation revealed that, there is a significant negative impact on the quality of air in the area. The atmospheric conditions of the area as well as health impacts on the local population is a big threat. Community people lamented the rise of respiratory problems, rashes on the bodies and other unidentifiable ailments since the incident. Also, oily liquids, crude oil sludge and suspended sediments from the blow-out sites are washed into adjoining farmlands, streams, swamps, rivers and lakes. The ecosystem of the area is grossly contaminated. When ERA visited the area the following rivers were clearly contaminated: Matesiri, Maateyor, Makinakono, all in Kwava Community, Kono river, Maavin Biabu in Bane. The entire Ken - Khana areas that are linked to one another through rivers and streams are all affected. Another source of concern is the contamination of the famous Buan virgin/sacred forest, one of the remaining forests left in significant size and species diversity of the Niger Delta lowland rainforest. There are also fears that any possible contact of the affected sites with naked fire will result into an inferno. The incessant rainfall in the area has worsened the rapid spread of the hazardous crude oil. SHELL RESPONSE: SPIN - DOCTORS AT WORK Community people narrated how penultimate Sunday Shell helicopters hovered over the Yorla oil field (scene of the disaster) while on May 2, 2001, (3 days after), Shell held a press conference at their Club House in their Residential Area (R.A) at Rumuokrusi in Port Harcourt, claiming that the spill was caused by sabotage. Shell's External Relations Manager addressed the conference, which attracted a lot of local journalists, (East), Mr. Donald Boham, he told the local press that the spill which was devastating the Ogoni environment was caused by sabotage. Few days after, 3 persons believed to be oil well experts were brought into Ogoniland from Texas, USA, to stem the off-site migration of the product. The experts whose names were simply given as Roy, Ozzie and Richard dug up deep holes at the affected site as a containment measure. Community told ERA that, the experts cleared the air, by stating that, the blow-out was caused by mechanical failure due to gas pressure coupled with corrosion on the facility. Meanwhile, armed mobile police men (known locally as "kill and go") in patrol van (Registration Number withheld), were seen keeping surveillance over Shell facilities and spill site to shield the it from any possible community protest. Note that Shell has granted interviews to both local and international media alleging that, the blow-out is caused by sabotage. FEAR Fear is high amongst the Ogoni Local population that given the very large expanse of farmland seriously devastated by the blow-out, a grave famine crisis will hit Ogoniland sooner than later. ERA'S RECOMMENDATION - SPDC should clean up the spill and undertake remediation measures immediately. - Shell should undertake a cleaning up of their entire spill sites in Ogoniland. - SPDC should send medical and relief facilities to the affected communities. - It should pay compensation and rehabilitate its decaying facilities to forestall further occurrence. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Send a letter on the above expressing concern for environmental and human protection to Shell on their recent explosion and other spill sites. - Send copies of your letter to editors of Local and International oil newspapers, magazines and environmental groups. - Send copies of your letters to State and Federal Ministry of Environment and also legislators(s) Nigerian requesting them to raise issues of environmental concerns as a critical part of their mandate and obligation to the people. For more information contact: ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/ FRIENDS OF THE EARTH (FoE, Nigeria) #214, Uselu-Lagos Road, P. O. Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria Tel/Fax: + 234 52 600165 E-mail: eraction@infoweb.abs.net Port Harcourt: # 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt Tel: + 234 84 236365 E-mail: oilwatch@infoweb.abs.net Lagos: # 1 Balogun Street, Ikeja E-mail: disera@infoweb.abs.net London: E-mail: njaja@compuserve.com
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