Delta Communities Indict NGC Over Gas Blowout, Send SOS To Kachikwu, NOSDRA DG

Residents of Ikpokpo, Okpele-Ama, Otogbene, Atanba and other Gbaramatu Communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State who live near a site of Nigerian Gas Company, NGC gas leak have accused the company of attempt to conceal the gas leakage in their communities.

The communities alleged that NGC had attempted to hurriedly change the damaged gas pipeline so as to conceal the cause of the gas explosion which has emitted so much gas into their environment with its attendant pollution.

BigPen Online was exclusively told at the weekend that the gas explosion which occurred on the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) Escravos to Warri gas pipeline on the 25 of August, 2017 at Ikpokpo, site of the Gbaramatu Deep seaport project have spewed tens of thousands of tons of methane into the air since the incident with NGC allegedly trying to cover it up.

Giving a graphic details of the development in a statement obtained by BigPen Online, Messer Godwin Akori (Chairman, Ikpokpo Community) and Edward Odudu, on behest of others, said the affected communities have sent a save our soul message to the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Director General of the National Oil Spill Response and Detection Agency (NOSDRA), Mr. Peter Idahor.

Messer Odudu and Godwin Akori, in the statement said in the early hours of Friday 25 August, 2017, they noticed massive emission of gas from a gas pipeline underneath their community and immediately video it and sent to NGC representatives in Warri for action.

The communities further said that there was no response from NGC; hence they wrote formally on September 18, 2017 to the Managing Director of NGC and the Zonal Head of NOSDRA in Warri through their Solicitors, Messrs E. K. Omare and Company requesting for an urgent joint investigation team to ascertain the cause of the leakage and take steps to bring the leakage to an end.

According to the communities, NGC upon receiving their Solicitor’s letter instead of calling for JIV, hired military men with gun boats and went to the communities to intimidate people and hurriedly hired a contractor with intention to change the damaged pipeline without a JIV.

The community leaders further stated that even a meeting called by the zonal head of NOSDRA in Warri on Thursday, September 28, 2017 was ignored by officials of NGC as they refused to attend.

Continuing, the statement said: “At the time of issuing this statement angry Gbaramatu youths have stopped the contractor hurriedly hired by NGC to change the damaged pipeline.

“The situation may degenerate and get out of hand if urgent steps are not taken to arrest the situation.

“The intention of NGC is to hurriedly change the damaged gas pipeline so as to conceal the cause of the gas explosion which has emitted so much gas into the environment with the attendant pollution.

“The affected Gbaramatu Communities therefore call on the Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the DG of NOSDRA to call officials of NGC in Warri to order in order to avoid a confrontation between the army and youths of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

“We also call on the Chief of Army Staff and the Operation Delta Safe Commander to call military officers attached to the NGC to order to avoid breakdown of law and order.

“The military intimidation of innocent communities and people in Gbaramatu must stop”.

All efforts to reach NGC’s Community Relations Officer, Mr. Violin Antaih for comment proved abortive as he fails to pickup calls to his mobile phone as at time of publishing this report.

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