Another Oil Spill Ravages Western Niger Delta

This Day

28 December 2011

Another Oil Spill Ravages Western Niger Delta

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has launched a probe to ascertain the source of a new oil spill, which has hit the coastal areas in the Western Niger Delta, about 90 miles east of Shell’s Bonga oil field.

Unlike the Bonga oil spill, which did not hit the coastline before it was contained, the latest spill is ravaging the coastal areas, destroying vegetation and marine life.

THISDAY learnt that the probe, which was ordered by the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, followed the claim by the Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, that the spill did not come from the Bonga field, but “a third party”.

Sunmonu had stated that the company’s effort to clean the Bonga spill was hampered by third-party oil, spilled from another vessel in the area.

“Our teams witnessed oil on the surface of the water that they are sure did not come from Bonga. We have taken samples of the oil to understand where it came from,” he had said.

But NIMASA’s Deputy Director in charge of safety, Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, told THISDAY yesterday that “Shell cannot confirm or deny the source of the spill until a forensic test of the oil is carried out”.

“The Director General of NIMASA has instructed me to obtain samples of the so-called third party spill for forensic analysis and to also evaluate the environmental impact of the spill on the adjacent communities.  As I speak to you now, I am in Warri for this assignment,” Enisuoh said.