Residents of Buguma/ Bukuma communities in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State have sent a Save-our-Souls(SOS), message to the Federal Government (FG), and State Government led by President Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara respectively.
This followed a massive oil/gas spill fire eruption on NNPC facility, oil well 8, and Oil Mining Lease(OML)-18, operated by NNPCL, in the community last week, causing massive destruction on the environment and crippling economic activities in the area.
A tour of the scene of incident by selected journalists, weekend showed that while the fire still rages the oil and gas leak have continued to spread its leaps and bounds, from river to river and to lands, fishing ports, neighbouring communities, towns and villages.
Some of the communities currently being affected by the spread include, Horsefall-Ama, Krakra-ama, George-ama, Abia-Ama, Aguna-ama, Abala-ama among others; that their line from Bukuma to Alakiri, among others.
The people decried hardship, hunger, due to disruption in their economic mainstay, following the continued spreading of oil on the rivers, killing fishes and other aquatic lives. The people are predominantly fishermen, women.
In a news conference held at Buguma town hall in Buguma, shortly after the tour, Regent of Kalabari Kingdom, Dr. Charles Numbere appealed to Tinubu and Fubara to urgently save the communities and environment from the raging disaster.
The meeting was held in the presence of major stakeholders in the area, including the chiefs, community leaders, youth and women leaders.
In the SOS message he directed to the duo of Tinubu and Fubara, and read to the media with the title, Buguma and Bukuma are finished, Alabo Dr. Numbere said, “the Buguma community (and Bukuma), urgently call on His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR and His Excellency Sir Siminialayi Fubara GSSRS, to please set all mechinary in their power to help us(Buguma, Bukuma and the surrounding towns and vollages), to contain the environmental disaster that has occured in the area.
They also called on the relevant ministries and agencies, particularly, the Minister for Environment, Minister of States for petroleum, Director Energy, Security and Protection, in the office of the National Security Adviser, the Commissioner Rivers State Ministry of Environment among others to rise up and save the communities from being wiped out.
He noted that “there is a major oil spill going on i these areas and spreading very fast.
“The spill started about a month ago with serious gas leak, which followed by a massive oil spill which has continued to spill and spread nonstop.
“The gas and oil leak has now become a massive born-fire, what we feared most has now happened.” they lamented.
According to the Regent, the development holds grievous consequencies to immediate host communities and their neighbouring communities and areas(lands and sea), including their inhabitants if nothing was urgently done to first bring the situation under control to stop further spread and devastations.
“These incidents pose grave danger to communities in Kalabari Kingdom. It is so serious and frightful but this is not the time to apportion blames as ti the cause of this calamity, to dwell on that is tantamount to dereliction of duty, therefore, our demand now is basically damage control, cleanup total remediation and restoration.
“We know that remediation will take some time, even years, but let it be in view.” the Regent said.
Meanwhile, they called on governments at all levels and their agents to urgently send relief materials to the affected communities as a way to cushion the biting harsh effects of the disaster, which the residents are already going through.
It cannot be ascertained at the time of filing this report however, the actual cause of the spill and the fire, meanwhile, the community are of the suspicion that it could have been caused by equipment failure, infraction by oil thieves and military air raid on illegal oil refinerying sites.
Speaking, the chairman Buguma oil spill Committee, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji reiterated that the spill has affected rivers, farmlands and acquatic systems in the environment, ranging from Buguma, Bukuma creek, Ogaji-Ama, Keli-Ama, Abia-Ama, Angula-Ama, all fishing pots, Island and communities in the area are all impacted.
Furthermore, the medical doctor highlighted some of the health and economic implications of the spill on to include, skin rashes, cancer diseases, acquatic inhabitants, economic losses, starvation, intense poverty/hardship since the fishing activities, which is the economic mainstay of residents have been suspended as the result of the development, among others.
The community hence called on various government agencies saddled with the responsibility of protecting and preserving the environment, such as NOSDRA, Ministry of Environment among others to contact the community for collaboration to ensure proper investigation on the subject matter with the view of determing the cause of spill for immediate cleanup, remediation and restoration process.
