Ijaw Communities in Delta Demand Compensation for Oil Spill, Give Ultimatum

Pipeline Host communities in the Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), demanding compensation for damages caused by an oil spill to their farmland and livelihoods.

Warri Sentinel gathered, the communities, which include Oporoza, Okpele-Ama/Tebujor, Ikpokpo, Opuedebubo, Opuede, Atamba, Ogbotu, Okerenkokogbene, Gan-Ama Zion, Kala-Ikpokpo, Meike-Ama, Fia-Fia Zion, and Oturu-Ebagbene, have threatened mass protests at the company’s offices if their demands are not met.

The protests, they warned, could disrupt operations and affect the company’s workers in the region.

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In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of NPSC, the communities, represented by their solicitor Eric Omare, expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s approach towards handling towards the oil spill incident, which occurred on August 10, 2024.

The letter, which was also sent to various authorities including the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Yenagoa, the House of Representatives Committee on Environment, and Delta State officials, stated that the company had failed to follow through on agreed actions after site visits on September 2 and November 18, 2024.

The communities have given NPSC until December 18, 2024, to finalize the JIV, take responsibility for the environmental damage which includes compensation and environmental cleanup.