Residents of Oregha Community in Uvwie Council of Delta State have raised the alarm over the leakage of gas from a pipeline owned and managed by the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC).
NGIC is a gas transportation company with an extensive network of gas pipelines across the Niger Delta.
The company’s pipeline cuts through Oregha, an autonomous community of about 2,000 people near Oko Amurun, Ohore in Uvwie Council area, who are mostly into farming and fishing in the Oregha River.
In a Save Our Souls (SOS) to the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), they said that in the later part of 2023 they started noticing that one of the gas pipelines in the bush was making a whistling noise and spraying gas and sand into the atmosphere.
They reported the incident to the NGIC Community Relations Committee (CRC) at the time, which promised to convey the findings to the company, but the NGIC did not respond to the report.
As time went on, the site of the leak also started oozing a black oil that has now found its way into the Orhega River where the locals fish and is threatening aquatic life.
Chairman of Oregha Community, Chief Mackson Edeki, said that after the initial attempt to get the attention of the NGIC through the report to the NGIC CRC, he continued to observe developments in the environment until he noticed corrosive chemicals in the Oregha River.
He disclosed that members of the community noticed that there is now bubbling at the same spot in the gas pipeline that was whistling and spraying sand in the air, adding that after some time the black oil spilling into the community farmlands has spoilt many traps and is now polluting the river.
Executive Director of RDI, Philip Jakpor, said: “Our team learnt that the gas pipeline that is spewing the black oily substance and gas was constructed over 30 years ago hence its integrity comes to question.
“The incident resembles many others across the Niger Delta where spills occur and are allowed to continue for months and in some cases years, resulting in major disasters before intervention comes. The government at federal and state levels should compel NGIC to mobilise to site and stop the environmental assault.”
Obrotobo Goddey, a 30-year-old community youth from the community, said: “I am a surveyor by profession. In the course of my survey work in one of the bushes we noticed bubbling in a small point. That was last year (2023), but now it is happening in the river.
“The chemical is now entering the river. When I noticed the development I called the community chairman who went to see and then reported to the NGIC’s CRC but nothing has happened so far. It is very disturbing.”
Chairman of Orgegha Community, Chief Mackson Edeki, said: “There’s no bunkering in this community or anything that will affect pipeline integrity so we are surprised that the leak is not being clamped at this stage.
“When it was whistling we never knew anything else would follow. The black oil leaking from the site of the whistling spot has destroyed our animal traps already. I am a fisherman and I fish in the Oregha River but with this incident escalating we may not be able to fish.”
Chairman of NGIC CRC in Uvwie Council, Chief Omafume Amurun, also revealed that the committee has made every attempt to get the NGIC to take action before the leak causes a major disaster but to no avail.
“There is apprehension in the community that a fire or any other incident may happen. We are also worried that the spill might engulf the entire Oregha River and affect the livelihoods of local fishermen. We do not want the situation to degenerate to that extent hence our outcry that the NGIC should come and clamp the ruptured point.”
Following the development, RDI has demanded that the Federal and Delta State Governments and relevant agencies compel the NGIC to mobilise immediately to clamp the gas leak and black oil spewing into the community farmlands and river.
It also wants the NGIC to be compelled to replace its rustic pipes that have the tendency of rupturing and causing havoc in the peaceful community, while sanction should be imposed on erring officials of NGIC for failing to address the imminent danger of an explosion and other fallouts of the pipeline rupture reported to them.
“There should be a comprehensive investigation and environmental audit to ascertain the impact of the leaks on the environment and especially the river, while adequate compensate should be paid to the locals who have suffered losses including destruction of their farmlands and waters.
“The NGIC should strengthen its relationship with the CRC to ensure seamless communication and addressing of community concerns,” it stated
