Farming and fishing, a mainstay and predominant business among the people of Bayelsa State and Niger Delta region is currently facing dwindling participation over the flooding of farmlands and oil spills, which have polluted water sources and farms in the area.
Consequently, farmers have all deserted their farms, while produce have been prematurely harvested, and fisherman no longer go out for their daily business as rivers have been polluted by the crude oil spill which the present flooding has aided its fast spreading to various river channels.
Recently, the indigenes of Olugboboro community in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State decried the massive leakage of crude oil from the pipeline operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, (NAOC) in the area where farmlands, water sources, ponds, economic trees and lakes in the forests have been completely impacted.
Although, Eni, the parent body of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has confirmed the oil leak, stating that a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) has been activated with the representative of the authorities and the communities, but the spill is yet to be contained to ease the challenges of farmers and fishermen in the area.
Also, women from Aminigboko, Egunughan and Owerewere communities, Bayelsa border communities in Abua LGA of Rivers State protested over the destruction of their farmlands by flood water due to the activities of multinational oil companies in the area, which threatened food production and hampered their farming business.
Some farmers whose farms were among those destroyed by flood water, Mrs Glory Welcome and Toli Ibem, said their means of livelihood had been destroyed hence they were calling on the state government, and Shell Petroleum Company to come to their aid.
Also speaking, an aged farmer, Mrs Iroli Ikoli, said the present hike in food prices is as a result of the challenges confronting farmers, especially the perennial flooding in the Niger Delta region.
The leadership of Olugboboro community said the spillage occurred from Agip facility which has happened consistently for about two months at the ruptured Ogboinbiri/Tebitada pipeline, attributed to equipment failure from the facility operated by Agip and which has killed crops and fish in the rivers.
Chief Azeke Matthew Akpowari and the assistant secretary general of the community, Amos Oweifighe, in a letter to the Bayelsa Government, called for urgent intervention to stop the oil spill.
They said: “We wish to register our utter displeasure and intimate you of the inaction of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, to the oil spillage that occurred in a pipeline operated by the company at Olugboboro community in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State.
“The spillage occurred about two months ago along Ogboinbiri/Tebitada pipeline when the pipeline ruptured which has been attributed to equipment failure, as a result, for about two months, crude oil has been gushing out from the pipeline, thereby devastating a large swathe of farmlands, ponds, economic trees and lakes in the forest.”
“It will be difficult to quantify the damage wreaked on the people’s livelihood and the environment, because of the huge quantities of crude oil spilled.
“It would be pertinent to note that Biedinobou, where the equipment failure occurred, is a major farming and fishing hub of the community. Thousands of barrels crude oil have been spilled since sometime in May this year when the pipeline ruptured; thereby turning farmlands, lakes and ponds into rivers of crude oil.
“Consequently, collateral damage has been done to farms, economic trees, ponds and lakes, which are the mainstay of the people in Biedinobou forest for the past two months since the pipeline began to seep crude oil into the environment. We are in the rainy season and it’s aiding the fast spread of the spill to distant areas and rivers.
“Agip has been informed of the ugly incident, however, till date it has not made any attempt to contain the spillage from further polluting and degrading the environment,” the letter read
The spokesman for Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), who confirmed the oil leak, said the joint investigation visits with representatives of the authorities and of the communities are ongoing, to ascertain the facts and agree on the way forward.
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