The rumour began coming in trickles and then several members of the Sangama Community, which is some kilometers away from the Oloma flowstation, started confirming that there was indeed a gas leakage in their community. The worrisome development scared away many a resident to nearby communities and the urban center in Bonny. This sense of apprehension is not farfetched as in 2020, the incidences of loss of taste and loss of smell was blamed on gas leakage from one of the company facilities in Bonny Island. Not to forget the incident that happened some years back in Ahoada East LGA and then trending stories of disasters caused by gas leakage in Lagos and other places recently.
The Youth Leader of Sangama Community in Bonny LGA of Rivers State, Iyalla John-Jumbo engaged Kristina Reports Editor-in-Chief, Godswill Jumbo in Bonny on Thursday, September 8, 2022 where he narrated the experience they had with the gas leakage incident in his community, the trauma and trepidation is has caused his kinsmen and what they want the owners, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) before and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) now, to do to contain the incident and remediate the environment. Enjoy the excerpts!
Kristina Reports: Good morning, Sir, may we know you?
Iyalla John-Jumbo: Okay, good morning, Sir, my name is Iyalla Frank John-Jumbo, the Youth Leader of John-Jumbo Chieftaincy House Youth Association, aka, Sangama Youth Association of Grand Bonny Kingdom.
What is this story of gas leakage in your community.
The gas leakage is something that for some time now we have been experiencing in our community, which, as it is, we don’t know what is causing this kind of problem or leakage.
But did any one happen recently?
Yes, as I speak to you now, on the 3rd of September there was a leakage in one of the gas flow stations in my community. So, when it happened, I immediately called Shell because when it happened last time on the 16th of August I called and within some hours they responded to shut down the flow of the leakage. But by the 3rd of September because we usually have our meetings every first Sunday of the month to have our sanitation only for me to call and discover that there is leakage again in the community.
3rd of September that’s last week?
Yes, it’s last week; I called Shell informing them about the leakage that has happened again. So, they now told me that they are going to respond to shut down the leakage but, as we speak, we have not seen them. And as I speak to you, when this thing happened, of course, you know the noise that is coming out from the leakage was so much that people in the community have to start fleeing for their lives. as I speak to you now, Sangama is deserted apart from one or two person that you may see there that has not gone back which we are telling them to leave because it has to do with their lives.
So far, has there been any casualties like anybody falling sick, skin infection or something?
Of course, as I speak to you, some persons are in the hospital, and on that day that thing happened they were running out of the community some got injured due to the fear of explosion. So, that is what is happening as we speak. Some were experiencing symptoms of ailments they could not explain or understand. Many of them who had no money for medical bills had to resort to herbs to treat themselves. And you know that this fear stems from the last incident in Bonny when there was a gas leakage from one of the companies that resulted in loss of taste and loss of smell and several other ailments.
As per the one that happened on August 16th, three people were affected but this one of September we have about two persons that were injured. We can’t even tell the health condition of those who have been in the community all this while that the gas leak happened and have been inhaling it. Then you also have those who have nowhere to run to and are still stuck in the community. It is very scary.
You said you called Shell; was it Bonny Terminal or Shell IA, Port Harcourt?
It was Shell Terminal in Bonny and they said they will get back. Yes, they said they will get back and they haven’t gotten back? They said they were going to respond to shut down the flow but, as we speak, they haven’t responded.
But does that mean that the pipeline that was leaking belongs to Shell?
I think the man at the Control Room (name withheld), when I tried to find out their identity because I heard that Shell is handing over some of their oil wells and flow stations to an incoming company. So, he said the company name is Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
That is the company that owns it and it no longer belongs to Shell?
You know that as they are handing over, they have not introduced themselves formally because, ordinarily, what is supposed to be done when an old company is leaving a particular location, they are supposed to make a formal introduction to the host communities that they are no longer there and this is the new company that has taken over. So, until now nothing has happened? No such thing has happened to the best of my knowledge nothing like that has happened.
If you were to ask now, what would you want Shell or NPDC to do?
Well, if I am asked now, our youths – some of the injured persons – they need to start taking good treatment for them to come back to normal. That’s one, then two, for them to clean up the place because as it is now the economic life of the people has been affected. We, from this area, are majorly into fishing while some do some level of Agriculture in Sangama. We have some portion of our land where we use for farming. Although, not in a very large scale but a lot of people are into farming. So, the economic life of our people has been affected because of this leakage. In fact, looking at it from the ecosystem, it has to do with the fishes in the water and even the land; then, what about the humans? We all that inhale that gas, as it were, if people continue to inhale it, the life expectancy of the people will be shortened. In order not to allow this thing to happen, they need to carry out medical checks on persons that have been affected. Of course, within the leakage has affected the environment and has to do with the air. In fact, by the time you look at the pictures you will discover that this thing is emitted in the air and as you inhale it, it is unhealthy and is poisonous to the body. Let me also state here that we, as Sangama people, have not benefited anything from them in terms of employment, training, scholarships for our youths, or any CSR project. So, we think that they have to come in to assist us along this path, in terms of human capacity development. These are the things we actually need Shell or NPDC now to do.
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