There’s been another oil spill in Bodo City in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, according to an environmental justice activist.
Fyneface Dumnamene of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre said the network’s members communicated their observations, raising concerns about the environmental impact on the community.
“The latest spill occurred on Friday, August 18, at the Sugi area of Bodo Community, not far from where multiple oil spills have occurred in recent times on the trans-Niger Delta pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Ltd,” he said.
The activist said his organization has “lost count of oil spill reports from Bodo city alone due to incessant occurrences, and there was a need to go beyond press statements that put these spills on record to seek Guinness World Records for the community and for the putter to be globally named and shamed to serve as a deterrent to both indigenous and multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.”
According to his statement, it will help to “further hold these companies to account for the ecosystem destruction and save the fragile Bodo, Ogoni, and Niger Delta communities, especially with the ongoing cleanup exercise by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).”
He, however, called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to immediately embark on a joint investigation visit (JIV) with Shell and other stakeholders to the spill site in Bodo City and not to delay it like it has refused to carry out a JIV on the 18 June 2023 crude oil spill in Eteo Community in Eleme Local Government Area till date.
Mr. Fyneface said the JIV report is important as it would add to the pull of materials to be gathered and presented to Guinness World Records to seek approval for a title for Bodo City as a "community with the highest number of crude oil spills in the world."
A History of Oil Spills
Bodo City has been grappling with a series of oil spills, with a particularly intense period of four spills within a single month in the past year. This pattern has prompted discussions about the community's vulnerability and the need for long-term safeguards.
A report from the Joint Investigative Team (JIV) in August 2022 indicated that Shell was responsible for spilling five barrels of crude oil into the Bodo community. The disclosure underscores questions about responsibility and accountability when such incidents occur.
The ongoing situation in Bodo City highlights the complex intersection between corporate interests and environmental concerns. It serves as a reminder of the broader global challenges posed by unsustainable practices.
As the situation evolves, Bodo City faces not only immediate environmental consequences but also broader discussions about ecological sustainability and corporate accountability. The incident underscores the critical importance of addressing these issues to safeguard both local ecosystems and the planet at large.
