ALARM BY EGI PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY FORCES RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT TO VISIT SITE OF GAS ERUPTION IN ONELGA COMMUNITIES
Days after the leadership of Egi People’s Assembly raised a public alarm over a devastating fire along the Idu-18 OB/OB Gas Pipeline between Ohali-Elu and Ohali-Usomini in Egi and Usomini zones of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA; the Rivers State Government has finally visited the site of the fire incident to assess the level of degradation of the farmlands and the ecosystem of the area.
Egi People’s Assembly, EPA had expressed disappointment that neither the company responsible for the Gas Eruption nor the Government at any level visited the site of flaming fire 🔥.
However, the State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Uche Maximus Nwafor in an interview with BraveNews correspondent immediately after the inspection of the site, attributed the Gas Eruption to *System Failure*
He explained that: “We got as a government, a distress call from Ohali Community that they are having issue with gas eruption.
“So, His Excellency directed me to come over and find out what was really going on there, which I did today.
“From my observation, it’s like a *System Failure* and it’s under control; they shut down; you know when these pipes have problems, they shut them down.
“Though, the flame is still coming out a little bit, not like some days back, so they have to take some time for it to properly clear before they can come and do the proper maintenance and I think everything will be in order”.
The Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Uche Maximus Nwafor assured that the State Government would get the Multinational Oil Company, OandO to carry out remediation work on the environment of Ohali-Elu and Ohali-Usomini Communities.
His words: “That not withstanding, as a government, we will take the necessary actions to make sure that the company that owns the facility will ensure that, in due time, they will get it sorted out, so that things can go back normal again in the communities.
“The company is OandO, they have also accepted it’s their facility, so we have gotten directives on how to go about it, we will swing into action and make sure everything is in order”.
Recall that, the President General of Egi People’s Assembly, EPA, Dr Ugochukwu Orikoha had weeks ago, led members of his executives and some Environmental Professionals, including the Chairman, Nigerian Environmental Society Rivers State Chapter,
Professor Felix Igwe; past Chairman, Nigerian Environmental Society, Dr Kingsley Wogbidi and a former member and Chairman House Committee on Environment at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr Christian Ahiakwo and called on the multinational responsible for the incident, the OandO and relevant government authorities as well as Civil Society Organizations intervene to facilitate the immediate restoration of the ecosystem and forestall further degradation and negative impacts on the people and the environment.
The delegation frowned at the situation, describing it as *distasteful and absolute negligence* to international best practices and negligence to the role of the Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, first to the immediate communities, Egi Kingdom and ONELGA at large.
The Commissioner has in the meantime, emphasized that no residents were in danger, as the gas facility is located near farmland, with no homes in the nearby vicinity.
Uche Maximus Nwafor also confirmed that the fire had been ongoing for five days before the knowledge and intervention of the State Government.
The Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources assured the communities of their protection and safety by the government.
He added that government would take immediate steps in addressing any environmental and property damages caused by the Gas Eruption, assuring residents that all necessary measures would be put in place to resolve the incident and prevent similar occurrence in future.