10th September, 2022
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The authority of Bonny Local Government in Rivers State has said the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC) must take full responsibility for curbing gas leakage from a facility previously owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company in Sangama community of the council area.
Shell had claimed that it cannot act as the affected facility has been sold to Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC).
But in a press statement by Bonny Local Government Council signed by Boma Waribor, the Deputy Press Secretary of the Council acknowledged that change in ownership of the facility has been an hindrance to stopping the gas leakage.
The Local Government Council, however, assured the Sangama community it is well aware of the gas leakage efforts are already in place to bring the situation under control.
“Earlier attempts by the Local Government to interface with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to take up responsibility for the gas leakage was not successful as SPDC claimed it had sold the facility to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC).
“The Local Government is currently up and about towards ensuring NPDC takes full responsibility for the situation, hence residents are advised to remain calm, as no stone will be left unturned in a bid to completely arrest the situation.
Residents of Sangama Community had earlier in the week, raised alarm over gas leakage from the facility.
Youth Leader of the Community, Iyalla John-Jumbo told Journalists on Thursday, September 8, 2022 in Bonny, Rivers State that the gas leak, which occurred on Saturday, September 3, 2022, was yet to receive any attention from the facility owners.
John-Jumbo said when he learnt of the incident, he called Shell but as at the time speaking to Journalists no intervention has been made.
According reports, when SPDC was contacted an official of the company who responded, saying he was not authorized to speak on the issue, informed that the said facility has been divested to the NPDC, advising that the enquiry should be redirected to the NPDC.
A Staff of the NPDC, who preferred to be anonymous, claimed that an intervention team had been mobilized to the site to assess the situation and make necessary interventions.
The Sangama Youth Leader regretted that the community has been deserted due to fears that a repeat of the 2020 gas leak debacle in Bonny which resulted in loss of taste and loss of smell be occur in the area.
He disclosed that three persons were hospitalized while several others suffered varied symptoms of inexplicable ailments the last time such incident happened, thus when it occurred this time around several persons left the community in haste.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nyesom Wike, Chairman of Bonny LGA, Dame Anengi Wilcox, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari and other stakeholders to compel the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to quickly shut down the facility in order to mitigate any further impact on the area.
He equally called on the relevant authorities to demand that NPDC engage the community in the remediation efforts, pointing out that since the facility started operation in the area there has been no form of intervention or goodwill from Shell and now NPDC.
Bonny is the host to the multi-million naira Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG,which is anchoring point for processing natural gas from various gas producing communities for export.
