…. Dickson calls for compensation
Thirty- eight days after it began spewing crude oil and hydrocarbon into the environment, the leaking wellhead Oil Mining Lease (OML 29) Santa Barbara south field Well 01, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has finally been contained.
According to investigations control packages have also been successfully being installed at both arms of the well.
“To the Glory of God, we have put out the leak at SBAS-1. We are grateful for the support. Successfully installed control packages on both arms,” statement from the company said.
According to the statement the next step is to nipple down the Christmas tree and carry out a comprehensive service on the wellhead and the Christmas tree, and install the Christmas tree and secure the well.
DICKSON CALLS FOR COMPENSATION FOR COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY AITEO OIL SPILL IN BAYELSA
..,Calls for urgent measures to remedy the endangered environment
Meanwhile the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson has called on the operators of the oil firm, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the ministry of environment, National oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and others to take immediate steps to rescue the seriously threatened environment from total destruction.
The former Governor called on the National Emergency Management Agency, the Ministry of Environment, NOSDRA, and Oil firms to provide relief materials to the communities affected by the spill.
Senator Dickson in a statement said that with the scope of the pollution caused by the oil spillage, there is the need for the Federal Government to make a comprehensive provision to ensure the commencement of immediate measures of remediation in the affected areas.
The former Governor sympathized with the people of the affected areas whose source of livelihood and health have been endangered by the massive oil spill which has not abated.
While calling for adequate compensation for the people for damage of the environment and their source of livelihood, Dickson condemned the needless controversy over the pollution and the mischievous attempt to politicize the spill which he described as a straight forward case of pollution from the oil company.
He stressed that what was needed at this point was remediation efforts by all stakeholders and not an attack on the communities or the state government adding that that the Niger Delta environment has been so badly polluted.
Senator Dickson said that it was because of the rampant pollution that he constituted an international commission on environment chaired by the Anglican Archbishop of York, Bishop John Sentamu (now retired.)
He added that his foundation, the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation will continue to propagate and highlight issues of environmental abuse in the Niger Delta insisting that the Nembe spill is a classic example of what has been going on in the Niger Delta for the past 60 years.
Credit: Daily Sun