By: Felix Ikpotor
Management of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical and Fertilizer Company Limited has taken responsibility for the recent pollution of the Okulu River in Aleto community in Eleme local government area of Rivers State.
The company accepted responsibility for the environmental pollution at a stakeholders meeting with stakeholders of the area.
This is even as the council chairman, Obarilomate Ollor has warned the company against a future occurrence.
PHSpectator recalls that Ollor had recently ordered the sealing off one of a section of the rivers after the pollution was discovered.
Ollor who gave the caution at the meeting wondered why such toxic/waste water was not properly treated before being discharged and questioned the absence of waste treatment plant in Indorama complex.
He said, “What happened a few weeks ago was quite an ugly incident and I can tell you but for the way it was managed, it would have erupted in serious crisis. I want to thank our King for the way he was able to manage the people and Mr. Kendrick for being able to alert us quickly making us to understand that the incident was not deliberate.
“We understand that it was an upset from waste water that bye-passed the treatment facility that led to what we have today.
Speaking further Ollor said, why don’t you have online detectors to have been able to identify this upset before it got outside? Our people are not happy with what happened but what is saving the day is the way it has been managed up till this moment.
“So you will agree with me that we have to deliberately look for ways on how we can handle this situation for it not to occur again because I don’t know how you have been able to extensively manage this very ugly incident.
He said the incident has forced the council “to begin to carryout independent investigation on how the activities of your company is affecting our people because if this is what we could get from a discharge that affected the water body, what of the component that escaped into the air and the effect of that on human health that has been going on for several years. So, these are some issues that are bothering us after we noticed the large destruction of our aquatic lives”.
“So, we have economic issues and health challenges. We must now be deliberate to look at what is the way out to avoid a reoccurrence. We know this is an investment that is helping our people by way of employment, contract and other things they are gaining but a large number are being affected.
The council boss added:”So let us in this forum look at what the Eleme people are going through with what we have. What is our benefit? You people have Agric extension programs, what have you done for us to benefit from this programs? Nobody from our local government has any allocation.
“Some promises were made even before I came in for one project or the other but we are not seeing any comparative result, so we are worried. Aquaculture is one area we must consciously look into because of this occurrence.
“We should be talking of having an Environmental Trust Fund because these are machines and there could be anything in the future. As a local government, a government of the people of Eleme, we have decided that this is an opportunity for us to discuss extensively with you because we are not going to create a serious issue out of this but we want you to understand that we know what has happened and we expect that you also know the proper thing to be done. There must be a level of compensation that when we look at, we will know that this is what we gained from what we have lost.
“Don’t take our silence for granted, what you are doing is business, you want the business to thrive in our place but you must think about us”.
The General Manager, Government, Community and Company Relations, Indorama EPCL, Mr Kendrick Oluka thanked the statkeholders for the matured manner they have handled the matter. He used the medium to roll out all the projects Indorama is executing in her host communities insisting that Indorama keeps to her promise no matter the circumstance.
He disclosed that most of the laudable projects embarked upon by Indorama like the Health centre in Okerewa, Technical centre in Agbonchia and so many others are facing one hitches or the other due to contractors not keeping to the terms of reference or one community issue or the other.
He pleaded with the council chairman to intervene and beckon on the contractors to do the needful to ensure projects executed by Indorama in all her host communities including Onne are completed for the benefit of the people.
Giving a brief on the pollution that occurred at the Okulu river and the steps taken by Indorama to correct it, Consultant to Indorama, Prof. Anda Wai Ogosu disclosed that immediately they discovered the contamination, professional steps according to standard practice were taken to include taking of samples to accredited lab, 24 hours monitoring of the ph level of the water, proper mop up exercise to prevent decomposition, amongst other steps.
According to him, the fishes died as a result of being starved of oxygen due to the fact that the oxygen level in the water dropped because of the chemicals emitted inside the water.
He however applauded Indorama’s management for being proactive in the remediation process.
Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment and that of the state that were present at the meeting acknowledged that they were informed by the company when the incident occurred and ensured that the right thing were done. They also commended Indorama for admitting to their mistake.
