By: Felix Ikpotor
Rivers State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr Peter Medee has advised residents of Rukpukwu community in Obio Akpor local government area of the state to stir clear of an oil spill site in the manifold axis of the LGA.
The manifold field belongs to Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.
Medee while handing out the warning on a radio programme monitored in Port Harcourt, stated that officials from the ministry, SPDC and National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency, NOSDRA, are already on ground to access the level of the spill and remediation.
“Our men and others have been mobilized to site to be able to look at what exactly took place. As we speak, men from ministry of energy and natural resources, environment, SPDC and NOSDRA have gone there to do an on the spot investigation of the incidence,” he said.
The Commissioner said, “the facility was actually operating until when it was dispatched but it has been depressurised reason being that the area is a residential area.”
Medee advised residents to resist the temptation of scooping product from the site as it’s dangerous.
“normally because of poverty and hunger, anytime you see spill either from tanker of pipeline you see people always going there inspite of the consequences that’s why I am here to call on all residents to stay away from the area that has been designated to be covered by the spill and it has been clearly marked and demarcated, ” he stated.
He cautioned that the ministry does not want to record any casualty in course of the spill from either explosion or fire.
