Residents Fleeing Rivers Community Over Gas Leak In NPDC Facility
A gas facility formerly owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) but now divested to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC) is leaking, creating worries and forcing residents to flee Sangama Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State
The leakage which started September 3 is allegedly unattended to by the NPDC as of Thursday, 8th September according to the Youth Leader of the Community, Iyalla John-Jumbo.
John-Jumbo said Shell was informed of the leakage but no intervention as of the time of this interview.
According to Kristina Reports, an official of SPDC was reached but he responded, saying he was not authorized to speak on the issue, informing that the enquiry should be redirected to the NPDC, the new owner.
A staff of the NPDC, who preferred to be anonymous, said that an intervention team had been mobilized to the site to assess the situation and make necessary interventions.
The Sangama Youth Leader regretted that the community has been deserted due to fears that a repeat of the 2020 gas leak debacle in Bonny which resulted in the loss of taste and smell could recur in the area.
He disclosed that three persons were hospitalized while several others suffered varied symptoms of inexplicable ailments the last time such an incident happened, thus when it occurred this time around several persons left the community in haste.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nyesom Wike, Chairman of Bonny LGA, Dame Anengi Wilcox, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari and other stakeholders to compel the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to quickly shut down the facility in order to mitigate any further impact on the area.
He equally called on the relevant authorities to demand that NPDC engage the community in the remediation efforts, pointing out that since the facility started operation in the area there has been no form of intervention or goodwill from Shell and now NPDC.
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