The Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council, led by Comr. Okou A. Joseph, has called for urgent action over a prolonged oil spill reportedly associated with the Trans-Forcados Pipeline operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited.
During a press briefing, the Council raised concerns over the environmental and economic impact of the spill, which it said has continued for approximately seven months and affected more than 30 communities across Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Council said the pollution has affected waterways, mangrove forests, fishing grounds, farmlands, and the livelihoods of fishermen, farmers, traders, families, and young people. It acknowledged humanitarian assistance provided to affected communities but maintained that relief materials cannot substitute for environmental remediation, compensation, and restoration of livelihoods.
The Council called on Heritage Energy to urgently identify and stop the source of the spill, prevent further pollution, and commence appropriate clean-up and remediation. It also called on NOSDRA to coordinate a transparent Joint Investigation Visit involving the relevant authorities, the company, affected communities, and technical experts.
The Council then gave a 14-day notice to Heritage Energy and relevant authorities, demanding concrete action, including containment of the spill, investigation, assessment of affected areas, clean-up and remediation, humanitarian intervention, community engagement, and a road map for compensation and restoration of livelihoods.
The Council stressed that the notice was a peaceful demand for urgent action and reaffirmed its commitment to lawful advocacy, dialogue, transparency, accountability, and environmental protection.
As the press statement reads:
Haaa Agbonu! Agbonu! Agbonu!
Good day great youths of Ogulagha Kingdom, general public and media.
Press briefing on the prolonged Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited oil spill, Ogulagha Kingdom demands urgent action by Ogulagha Kingdom Youths Council.
The leadership of Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council led by Comr. Okou A. Joseph hereby addresses the media, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, the Delta State Government, the Federal Government, and all other relevant regulatory authorities and stakeholders concerning the prolonged oil spill emanating from the Trans-Forcados Pipeline here at Ogulagha Kingdom in Delta State.
It is with deep concern, pain and a strong sense of responsibility that we draw the general public’s attention to the devastating consequences of the oil spill which occurred approximately seven months ago and which has continued to affect communities within the Ogulagha Kingdom. The incident, reportedly associated with the Trans-Forcados Pipeline operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, has raised serious concerns regarding the containment, response, investigation and remediation of the affected environment.
The impact of the spill has extended from Odidi Community in Warri South West Local Government Area to over thirty two (32) communities within the Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The affected communities within Ogulagha Kingdom are as follows;
- Ogulagha Zone
- Ogulagha Community
- Youbebe Community
- Obuguru Community
- Osain Community
- Isiyagbene Community
- Beniboye Community
- Opeme Community
- Oforiba Community
- Debegbene Community
- Iturubiri Community
- Sokeblou Zone
- Sokeblou Community
- Yokiri 1 Community
- Yokiri 2 Community
- Asisaghabgene Community
- Oboropolo-Gbene Community
- Oloseimoere Community
- Ilabebegbene Community
- Saigidigbene Community
- Egbe-Gbene Community
- Edikongbene Community
- Iyanagho Gbene Community
- Obotobo Zone
- Obotobo 1 Community
- Obotobo 2 Community
- Saghagbene Community
- Seivosou-Zion Community
- Soude-Ama Community
- Ajizigbene Community
- Bighawari-Gbene Community
- America-Gbene Community
- Basaide-Gbene Community
- Okunpade Community
- Pipelengbene Community
We want to state it clearly that seven months is not a minor period when dealing with an environmental disaster involving crude oil. Every additional day of uncontrolled pollution potentially means further contamination of our waterways, mangrove forests, fishing grounds, farmlands and other sources of livelihood.
Our fishermen have lost access to productive fishing grounds, our farmers now experience damaged agricultural areas, and our traders are also affected. Families now struggle to provide food and provide basic necessities for the home. Our young people are now deprived of economic opportunities.
The Ogulagha Kingdom youths cannot continue to watch our environment deteriorate while investigations and administrative processes continue indefinitely. The Ogulagha Kingdom has, for generations, played a significant role in the petroleum economy of Nigeria.
Our lands and waterways have contributed immensely to the production and transportation of the resources upon which the Nigerian economy depends. At the same time, our people remain farmers, fishermen, traders and custodians of a delicate marine ecosystem.
Ogulagha Kingdom has given to the nation, and Ogulagha Kingdom continues to feed this nation. Our fishermen provide food; our communities continue to contribute to the nation’s energy economy. It is unfortunate that our environment continues to bear the environmental consequences associated with petroleum operations.
Let it be clearly stated that the relief materials provided are not enough. A few bags of rice, cartons of food items or other temporary interventions cannot compensate for months of lost fishing activities, destroyed aquatic resources, contaminated farmlands and environmental degradation.
We appreciate genuine humanitarian assistance whenever it is provided, but humanitarian relief must not become a substitute for environmental justice.
Our people need more. We are not asking all for favour. We are demanding responsible action, environmental justice and a response commensurate with the damage suffered.
The first and most urgent responsibility is to ensure that the source of the pollution is properly identified and, where confirmed, immediately contained.
Heritage Energy Operational Services must as a matter of urgency take all necessary technical operational steps to:
Immediately identify and stop the source of the leak, and prevent further;
Prevent further spread of crude oil into surrounding waterways and communities;
Deploy appropriate emergency response measures;
Provide regular updates to affected communities;
Facilitate an independent and transparent assessment of the affected areas; and
Commence appropriate clean-up and remediation processes without further delay.
We call on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to urgently coordinate a comprehensive Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) involving: NOSDRA; Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited; relevant regulatory agencies; representatives of the affected communities; relevant state and local government authorities; and other appropriate technical experts. The JIV must be transparent, properly documented and conducted in a manner that gives affected communities confidence in the process.
The investigation should establish, among other things:
The actual source of the spill;
The duration and volume of the spill;
The areas affected;
The environmental impact;
The extent of damage to fishing and farming activities;
The impact on mangrove forests and aquatic ecosystems;
The immediate and long-term consequences of the pollution; and
The appropriate remediation and compensation measures.
Our affected communities do not merely need photographs, meetings and relief materials. We need our environment restored. The clean-up must be professionally conducted and properly monitored, with appropriate technical standards applied to contaminated waterways, mangrove areas, fishing grounds and other affected locations. We further demand that remediation should not be declared completed merely because visible traces of crude oil have disappeared. The relevant authorities must ensure that the ecological of the pollution are properly assessed and that remediation continues until the affected environment is adequately restored.
The Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council hereby gives fourteen (14) days’ notice to Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited and the relevant authorities to demonstrate concrete and measurable action towards resolving this environmental crisis. Within this period, we expect to see meaningful steps towards:
Effective containment and stoppage of the source of the spill;
A properly constituted Joint Investigation Visit;
Comprehensive assessment of the affected communities and environment;
Commencement of a credible clean-up and remediation programme;
Meaningful humanitarian intervention for affected communities;
Engagement with the leadership and representatives of affected Ogulagha Kingdom; and
A clear road map for compensation and restoration of affected livelihoods.
This fourteen-days notice is not a declaration of hostility. It is a formal and peaceful demand for urgent action. Our environment cannot wait. Every day of delay has consequences, and the longer contaminated areas remain unattended, the greater the risk of continued environmental degradation and economic hardship.
We therefore urge NOSDRA, Heritage Energy, the Delta State Government, relevant federal agencies and other stakeholders to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves.
The Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council remains committed to peaceful engagement, dialogue and lawful advocacy. However, peaceful engagement must not be mistaken for weakness.
We shall continue to pursue every lawful avenue available to us to protect our people, our environment and our livelihoods.
We shall insist that petroleum operations within and around our communities are conducted in accordance with applicable environmental laws, regulatory requirements and recognised principles of environmental protection and remediation.
We shall also continue to demand transparency, accountability and meaningful participation of affected communities in decisions concerning our environment.
We call for:
Action, not promises.
Clean-up, not token relief.
Remediation, not delay.
Adequate compensation, not symbolic intervention.
Haaa Agbonu!
Agbonu!!
Agbonu!!!
Long live Ogulagha Kingdom!
Long live the great youths of Ogulagha Kingdom!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Signed:
Comr. Okou A. Joseph
President,
Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council
