The Ikot-Ebidang community in Onna LGA of Akwa Ibom State, south south Nigeria said that the community has no option than to mobilise for mass protest and embark on litigation as a last resort.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the President of the Ikot-Ebidang Progressive Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Dr David Udonsek, threatened to block and stop further operations of an oil company operating in the community, Natural Oilfield Services Limited, over alleged environmental pollution, occasioned by hydrocarbon discharge, which has worsen the lives of people of the community
South-South PUNCH reports that large emission of hydrocarbon has polluted the environment, destroyed the community’s water sources and ecosystem and resulted to skin rashes, respiratory diseases, bronchitis, asthma and other strange diseases, which has impacted on the citizenry health.
According to the inform source the community is furious that when it noticed the discharge, it notified the oil firm and gave it seven-day ultimatum to clean up the environment and pay compensation, but lamented that nothing has been done by the oil company.
It further expressed disappointment that the oil firm has consistently snubbed several intervention meetings called at the instance of the paramount ruler of Onna Local Government Area, His Royal Highness, Raymond Inyang, who has, made several attempts at mediating on the matter.
Dr Udonsek said, “We are prepared to block and stop the company’s operations until Ikot Ebidang is cleaned up and remediated and adequate compensation paid to the community.”
“We are set for mass protest and litigation as a last resort,” he continued. “That throughout the period of the discharge, the company “neglected, refused and failed to put in place mitigation measures to prevent the spread of the hydrocarbon in order to minimize its negative impact and spread to other communities.”
Udonsek said that the ugly development has led to “hazardous health condition of the people, and caused poverty, stress and psychological trauma.
He noted also that this tantamount to abuse of the people’s right to life and to live in an environment favourable to socio-economic development as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, of which Nigeria is a signatory.