Trans-Forcados Pipeline Fire: NGO Berates FG, IOCs

• Trans-Forcados Pipeline Fire: NGO Berates FG, IOCs

An environmental and non-governmental organisation, Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has berated the federal government, NOSDRA and International oil companies, (IOCs) over the pipeline fire outbreak on the Trans-Forcados Pipeline around Chanomi Creek in Yeye community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

The National Coordinator of CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade, recently expressed the organisation’s disappointment over what he described as utter disregard for the safety of the Niger Delta environment displayed by those benefiting from the resources of the region.

He condemned the negligence exhibited by NOSDRA, the government agency established to cater for the people and the environment of the oil region maintaining that avoidable disasters had been allowed to wreak havoc on innocent people and the environment due to lack of proactive measures.

Mulade, alleged that the fire incident which occurred recently, when residents were already asleep, was caused by ongoing repair works at a spill site that led to the causality of a worker and several degree of injuries sustained by people.

CEPEJ’s criticism of NOSDRA was due to the agency’s alleged neglect of the NGO’s invitation to the Director General of NOSDRA to visit communities and creeks in the Niger Delta Region affected by oil spill to enable him have personal knowledge of the situation on ground.

He said NOSDRA’s negligence had caused numerous oil spills and related environmental disasters, alleging that the agency lacks adequate information on the numerous oil spills in the region to enable it discharge its statutory functions effectively

Mulade, reminded NOSDRA that several explosions of oil and gas pipelines had caused far-reaching environmental and ecological disasters attributing the problems to substandard oil and gas transportation facilities that were often unchecked before usage, thereby leading to leakage, spills and explosions that have been gone on in the region.