By Our Correspondent
Palpable apprehension has gripped residents of Okpare-Olomu, Edjophe, Iwhrekan and Otor-Edo communities in Ughelli South Local Government area of Delta State following massive oil spill in the areas.
It was learnt from community sources that the spill emanated from a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and has been on for five days running.
They attributed the spillage to equipment failure but added that NPDC officials claimed it was due to activities of saboteurs.
Edjophe community chairman, Mr College Akpoughegbe told our correspondent that the spill has severely impacted all nearby communities and fishing creeks in the area since the spill occurred last Friday.
It was gathered that officials of NPDC, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR and the Delta State government on Tuesday carried out a JIV to ascertain the true cause of the spill but the result was not immediately available.
When our correspondent on Wednesday took a trip to the area, the popular Okpare River in Delta state was massively litred with crude oil while farmlands belonging to Iwhrekan, Edjophe and Otor-Edo communities have been ravaged.
Akpoughegbe called on the Federal and the Delta State governments to come to come to their aide noting that their source of drinking water and commercial fish ponds in the area were equally affected.
Omonigho Edafe, a farmer resident in Okpare Town decried the level of spill saying that it has also affected fishing and farming activities in the area.
Ugo Atugboko, External Relations Officer, NPDC, could not be reached at the time of filing this report as his telephone lines were switched off.
