Youths shut down ExxonMobil over oil spill, unfulfilled promises

Youths from ExxonMobil host communities in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State have shut down the operations of the multinational firm over recurrent oil spills and strings of unfulfilled promises made to the residents. They have vowed never to leave the area until the company carries out proper clean-up of the environment and also fulfil some promises made during past oil spills.

Mr David Okon, the Secretary, Youth Presidents’ Forum and President of Iwuokpom Community Youths, where ExxonMobil has its jetty, toldjournalists that the most recent spill occurred last Thursday when thunder struck the QIT tank farm and one of the crude oil-laden tanks went up in flames.

“Our grievance is that since last year, there was an oil spill at the QIT that flowed from Inuaeyet Ikom village to Okposo, about 35 kilometres along the coastline towards Mbo Local Government Area. Since then, Mobil has refused to clean up our environment. They issued an acknowledgement letter to indicate that their tank busted.

“Mobil knows the impact of oil spill and the damage it has done to aquatic life and the water table and the entire environment. When a major spill occurred last December, they promised to provide relief materials to our people and also pay compensation. Up till now, they have not done anything in that regard. Last week, two of the tanks got burnt and crude flowed into our communities,” he said.

According to him, a walk along the shoreline would show dead fishes, adding that it was becoming so hard for the people to fish.  “People are hungry and angry. That is why we have come here to draw the attention of the world to what ExxonMobil has been doing to our communities.”

A community leader in Ibeno, Mr Williams Mkpa, said his people have an axe to grind with ExxonMobil over cases of oil spills. Mkpa, who corroborated Okon’s concern, lamented that the economic mainstay of the people had been greatly affected by the spill.

“When similar incidents happen, the community usually agitates for clean-up and adequate compensation.

“But in its usual way, ExxonMobil has refused to respond to those requests because they don’t have the interest of the people at heart. In the past 44 years of their operations, the company only compensated us in 1998 when they declared 55 barrels spill and paid N350 million to our communities.

“Since then, there had been spills every year. Sometimes, we experience five to six spills per year and they are always very heavy, leading to the devastation of aquatic life which is our main source of livelihood,” he said.

On the flaring of gas, Mkpa said the continuous flaring of gas in the area had been a major source of health concern to the people of Ibeno and its environs. He said there are over 40 flare sites in less than 200 nautical miles of the shoreline bordering the community.