Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has ordered immediate medical intervention and urgent measures to tackle the devastating impact of the oil spill along the Trans-Forcados pipeline, saying the state government would not allow affected communities to suffer unnecessarily.
Oborevwori, who spoke during an inspection visit to Odidi community, Warri South-West Local Government Area, directed the State Commissioner for Health to immediately deploy medical teams to affected communities to assess residents and determine the health implications of the pollution.
The governor was accompanied by the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor; Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale; Commander, 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Asaba, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Buhari; Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Warri, Commodore Shehu Tasiu; Commander, 3144 Operating Base, Nigerian Air Force, Warri, Group Capt. Charles Abara; State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dr. Peter Afunanya; and other senior government officials.
Saying the situation had become too serious to be treated casually, he said; “we have to take this matter seriously. Once you see what is happening, you realise that it is a very big issue. We don’t want our people dying at this time. We cannot afford to lose our focus or waste time. We have to act quickly and decisively”.
Oborevwori said the intervention would go beyond the distribution of relief materials, stressing that residents must be medically examined because of the possible health consequences of prolonged exposure to pollution.
While also directing Heritage to also deploy medical team, provide relief materials, he said the medical teams would visit the affected communities, assess the environmental and health impact and determine appropriate intervention.
He added that the exercise would cover other areas affected by the incident.
The governor also demanded genuine dialogue between the oil operator and host communities, saying meaningful engagement was necessary to resolve the crisis and prevent further tension.
He assured the communities that his administration would continue to engage the relevant stakeholders until their concerns were addressed, while commending the security agencies for maintaining peace during the intervention.
Speaking to the affected residents, Oborevwori disclosed that while an initial assessment showed that about 86 communities were affected, the number had now risen to 216.
He said the operating company had assured the government that the technical process would be concluded and that cleanup would finish before the end of October, after which the affected communities would be engaged on compensation and other measures.
The governor warned that commitments made by the company must be honoured, saying the government would take necessary steps to ensure compliance.
He, however, appealed to the communities to remain peaceful and law-abiding, stressing that the government would pursue the matter through dialogue and due process.
Oborevwori lamented the pollution had severely affected fishing, the major source of livelihood for many residents, resulting in scarcity and increased prices of fish.
He stressed that the crisis was not merely about compensation, but about restoring the environment, protecting human lives and safeguarding the livelihoods of the affected people.
Speaking further, he approved the construction of landing jetty for Odidi Community and directed the Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government to build a modern health centre for the community.
The Governor also directed the Commissioners Oil and Gas, Chief Peter Uviejitobor and Environment, Mr Moses Ogodo to monitor the timeline on his directives to the Oil company and report back to him.
Meanwhile, General Manager, Operations Integrity, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, HEOSL, Nelson Wilbert, said the company was committed to working with the state government, host communities, NUPRC and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis.
Wilbert said the immediate priority was to complete the ongoing technical operations, including installation, stop the spill and pressure testing, required to restore normal operations safely.
He added that the company would work with regulatory authorities and affected communities to assess the environmental damage, clean up impacted areas and provide appropriate compensation.
President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr. Doubra Okotete, called for urgent action to halt the pollution, alleging that crude was still being pumped through leaking pipelines.
Okotete urged the authorities and oil operators to undertake comprehensive remediation and compensate affected residents, while calling for increased medical support, particularly for residents suffering respiratory problems.
Chairman of Odidi Community, Comrade Truston Gbenekama, thanked the governor for the visit and appealed for a landing jetty, health centre, potable water and environmental reclamation of the community.
