- No Oil Spillage From Any Of Our Facilities, Claims ExxonMobil
- As House Of Reps Orders Company To Clean Up Communities
By Akanimo Kufre (Uyo)
Contrary to a motion adopted by the House of Representative demanding the oil giant, ExxonMobil to clean up the communities affected by the recent oil spill from its facility, the oil company appears to be on a collision course with the federal lawmakers, as it has again refuted the claim saying, none of its facilities had caused recent oil spillage which has ravaged several communities within Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The company’s media and communication manager, Mr. Oge Udeagha  told The New Diplomat in a statement dismissing the allegations, that the oil spillage had not emanated from any of its oil installations, a development that has angered the members of the host communities protesting the alleged insincerity of the IOC in admitting its culpability.
“MPN (Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil) remains committed to providing environmentally safe operations and ensuring that the health and environment of our neighbouring communities are protected. Company confirms that no oil was spilled from any of its facilities,” he said.
However, investigation reveals that the oil floating ashore Ibeno was real. It was believed to have come from loading terminal at Qua Iboe Terminal, QIT.
A source revealed to The New Diplomat that the leakage was in small amount at onshore pipe linking QIT and offshore, where pressure is being reduced to channel crude into tank farm. It was also gathered that the development has been a re-occurring decimal in the area with the company always mobilizing a quiet clean up exercise, so as not to draw the wrath of authorities and host communities.
Earlier in the week, the House of Representatives, July 25, 2017 adopted a motion sponsored by Hon. Owoidighe Ekpoattai to mandate its committee on Environment to immediately summon the Chairman/Managing Director of ExxonMobil to brief the House on steps taken by the company to clean up the communities affected by the recent oil spill from its facility.
The motion also requests the committee to invite the ExxonMobil Chairman to appear before the Committee to brief it on the steps taken by the company to provide relief materials and pay compensation to the affected communities.
In a motion titled, ‘Urgent Need for ExxonMobil to clean up oil spillage in communities in Ibeno Local Government Area of Eket Federal Constituency to avert further crisis between the company and the host communities’, Hon. Ekpoattai informed the house through her motion that a major oil spillage believed to have emanated from ExxonMobil facility in Iwokpom has washed away farmlands, destroyed aquatic lives and disrupted other maritime activities in Inueyet Ikot, Iwokpom and Ndito Ekaiba communities in Ibeno LGA of Eket Federal Constituency.
The motion expressed regret that when contacted by the affected communities, officials from the company’s Public Affairs Department denied that the spillage was from the company’s facility, even when the company is the only company involved in oil exploration in the area.
The motion observed that this denial angered the youths of the affected communities who staged a protest to the company and barricaded the entrances of the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) facility of the company. It also observed that the company has refused to visit the scene of the spillage even though officials of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), State Ministry of Environment, Transport and Petroleum Resources have visited the scene of the spillage and confirmed the incidence as emanating from the company’s facility.
Before the spill protest, there has been tension between ExxonMobil and the Akwa Ibom communities due to none relocation of the company’s corporate headquarters to Akwa Ibom; N8 billion Eket-Ibeno Road funding; low employment and refusal to award major contract to indigenous people of host communities.  On the modalities of relocating the oil giant’s head office to Akwa Ibom, the information manager kept mute on the issue.
Perhaps, more friction may be expected in the oil rich region, if issues are not managed with care especially now that Akwa Ibom people are harping on the Acting president Yemi Osinbajo directive.
Earlier in March 2017, the Acting President at a town hall meeting in Uyo had said, “The people of this community have heard about the wealth oil have brought but hardly benefited from it. But am here on behalf of the President, Commander in Chief, to propose a new vision, a new era for the people of oil producing areas.”
“We have seen for several years before 2015 situations where the central government has controlled the resources and we have seen the result. We must treat oil and the oil producing community as special development area focusing in particular on how to ensure that people see the benefit of the wealth of the land. The people must see the benefit. I have heard all the request and I will answer to some, for the relocation of the IOCs, I have directed the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources (Ibe Kachikwu) to engage with the IOCs on the way forward. I think it is the right thing to do, that they should be present here,” Acting President Osinbajo said.
