Exxon Mobil Abandons Clean Up Of Contaminated Coastline In Akwa Ibom

0
Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of the U.S. multinational ExxonMobil has suspended its clean up of the Ibeno coastline in Akwa Ibom which was devastated by a major spill from its operations on August 13,?exposing the host community and environment to health risks.

Management of ExxonMobil has denied knowledge of the source of the spill, which the oil spill agency says it has been investigating since the middle of August.

Chief Willian Hennry Mkpa, a community leader in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom, has criticized the suspension of the clean up by the?oil firm and questioned the double standards of multinationals operating within the country.

?This has once again shown the hypocrisy of ExxonMobil that claims to operate (with a) high safety and environment policy? Would they do the same in their home country?

He continued: ?It is disheartening to note that Mobil never cared about the health of the community while it suspended clean up due to cost considerations? their major interest is to cut cost at the expense of human beings? For two weeks work was stopped because they refused to engage enough hands.

?The result is that the level of contamination has worsened because the water current is dynamic and has washed the oil in diverse directions,? Mkpa said

National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) had ordered Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) to clean up the coastline within its Qua Iboe oil fields.

Also speaking on the suspension of the spill clean up, Chief Okon Akpanowong, a representative Ibeno Paramount Ruler said that he participated in the meetings with officials of MPN on the clean up exercise but regretted that no action had been taken two weeks after.

?It was resolved two weeks ago amongst all stakeholders, namely Mobil, the community and regulators including the Ministry of Environment that the clean up be extended for additional 10 days.

We therefore do not know why the extension has not yet resumed, we signed all the papers and there is no reason to justify this delay of two weeks.

?The impact on the coastline environment is serious because it affects our fishing population, the grasses along the sea coast and aquatic life as well,? he said.

Akpanowong further explained that the abandoned spill impacted site had contaminated new areas that were originally not affected due to the changing direction of sea currents.

MPN,?in a press statement, had?accepted clean up of the coastline as directed by the oil spills management agency, NOSDRA.

However, the company kept sealed lips and has declined to comment on the lingering uncleaned coastline and its impact on public health.

 

Source:?By SaharaReporters

Send your news stories to [email protected] Follow News Ghana on Google News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here