There is an ongoing dispute over the cause of an oil spill that has devastated farmlands, creeks and streams between Azuzuama Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and Oando PLC
While the community argued that the spill on the six-inch Azuzuama-Tebidaba flowline was caused by equipment failure due to corrosion, the oil company insisted that the spill was due to third party interference or sabotage.
The spill occurred on June 25 and the first Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) took place on July 8 while the second visit was on July 15, but the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is yet to agree on the cause of the spill.
Uyabara Boneghen, Vice Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC) of Azuzuama, had questioned the consistent reading of the testing device during the JIV, alleging that it was preprogrammed.
‘I was also at the spill site the first day Oando brought an instrument to test the spill point to ascertain the cause of spill. The testing device was placed at different spots on the pipe and it was giving consistent reading of 5.0.
‘So, I questioned, ‘does this not point out to the possibility of pre programming of your machine? How could it read the same result at different points up to five different times?’ The looked at me and said, ‘we haven’t come to that and we are not computer.”
Alagoa Morris of the Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD), in his report after site visit, urged Oando to go ahead with cleanup of the impacted environment to prevent further spread of crude oil.
Morris stated: ‘Away from cause of spill, it is hereby suggested that Oando should proceed with containment and cleanup of the impacted environment to prevent further spread of crude oil.
‘Also, whether the other unattended underwater spill is spewing only gas or not, Oando should take immediate steps to stop it and carry out repairs.
‘Whether gas leak or crude oil, both are hydrocarbon and inimical to the environment; in this case, aquatic environment.
‘There is need for a JIV on this underwater leak, to ascertain cause and carry out repairs. Leaving the leak to continue would be viewed as an irresponsible and deliberate polluting action.’
It would be recalled that on July 9, 2015, an explosion at a section of the Azuzuama-Tebidaba pipeline killed 14 persons who were on a JIV.