Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) has announced the occurrence of an oil spill in its facilities at the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
According to Akaninyene Esiere, public affairs manager, QIT, about 12 barrels of crude oil spilled into Nkpana community in the local government area.
Last week, the oil company reported a fire incident at the same facility but blamed it on lightening adding that the situation was promptly extinguished.
It is not clear whether the oil spill emanated from the fire incident which hit the company’s storage facility but youths in the area claimed that the oil spill incident might not be unconnected with the fire outbreak.
Meanwhile, youths in the area have blocked the access road to the oil company’s facilities demanding that the affected area should be cleaned up.
The youth in the four core oil producing communities which include Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna mounted road block on the access road to the facilities.
Reacting to the development, James Atakpa, the leader of the group, said the youth decided to block the access road due to oil spill which occurred on June 28.
Atakpa alleged that the oil spill had caused untold hardship to the four core oil communities in general and Akwa Ibom at large.
He lamented that the oil spill had damaged all the aquatic life, including fishes, saying that it has caused scarcity and increase in the prices of fish in Akwa Ibom.
Atakpa appealed to Mobil to urgently clean up the environment, saying that the company has yet to commence any clean up exercise.
“What we are saying is that Mobil should come out and pay our former oil spill compensation and negotiate on how much they will pay for the fresh oil spill,’’ he said.
He called on Mobil to employ the youth of the core oil communities for the mopping exercise of the oil spill in the area.
“We want the company to employ 2,000 youths each in the core oil communities in mopping of the Nkpana
Paul Edoho-Ukwa, the state secretary of the ex-militant, recalled that the oil spill compensation in 2012 by Mobil facility was yet to be paid.
“We have been so patient with Mobil the way they are operating in our communities; look at the recent oil spill, up till now nothing has been done,’’ he complained.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK
