Mobil yet to commence clean-up of Qua-Iboe oil spill

Mobil Producing Nigeria, MPN, is yet to commence the clean-up of the Atlantic Shoreline, contaminated by an oil spill from its oil fields at Iboe, which occurred on December 19, residents of the area have said.

At the spill site on Friday, tidal wave was spreading the oily deposits back and forth along the coastline.

The oil field from where the spill emanated is operated by the Mobil Producing Nigeria, MPN.

Residents at the coastal settlement said that they started noticing oil deposits at the shoreline since December 16, and reported the development to MPN.

“We started seeing fresh oil deposits since December 16, and we reported to Mobil and they came to inspect and collected samples of the oil.

“But up till now, they have not responded to clean it up, the tide has been flushing the oil to other places and this is worsening the situation,” John Etim, a resident said.

MPN had, in a statement on December 21, confirmed a reported spill within its operations at the Qua Iboe oil fields in Akwa Ibom and pledged to clean up the impacted areas immediately.

The statement was signed by Mobil’s Communications Manager, Nigel Cookey-Gam.

“Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/MPN Joint Venture, confirms that on December 19, community representatives notified the company of slight oiling on short sections of the shoreline of Ibeno, Akwa Ibom.

“MPN immediately deployed a team to inspect the site and samples of the oiling were taken for analysis to help determine the source. Sections of shoreline with any oiling will be cleaned immediately. MPN restates its commitment to maintaining high safety, health and environmental standards in our operations and is committed to the well-being of our neighbouring communities,” Mr. Cookey-Gam said.

The oil firm also reportedly suspended mop up exercise at the areas affected by an earlier spill incident which occurred on November 9.

There had been various spills from Mobil’s facility including spillages that occurred on August 13, August 24, November 9 and December 19.

The spills caused great discomfort to human beings. Besides destroying their means of livelihood-vegetation, crops, fish- the chemical substance in oil are highly volatile and cause respiratory problems and central nervous system troubles.

Several lives in the Niger-Delta region have been lost due to effects of oil spills and the complicity of multinational oil companies since oil was found in oloibiri in 1956.

NAN