The House of Representatives Committee on Environment has charged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited (NEOL) to immediately commence the clean-up of communities impacted by an oil spill in Buguma, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The chairman of the committee, Julius Pondi, gave the charge following a petition against the companies over the oil spill in the communities.
Pondi, while granting the request of NNPCL and NEOL for a three-week extension on the commencement of an investigative hearing on the petition, directed the companies to urgently provide relief materials for the impacted communities.
“As you may be aware, this Hearing is convened by the Committee on Environment, to address a Formal Complaint against NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited (NEOL) regarding the Spill and Fire Incident at Well 8, Buguma, Degema LGA, Rivers State, filed by Messrs Anosike Egbuchiwe & Associates, Legal Practitioners on behalf of the Friends of Eco Life and the affected communities.
“A gas leak was reported on 1st December 2024, at OML 18, Well 8, Buguma, Degema LGA, Rivers State. Thereafter, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), comprising the NNPC Eighteen Operating Ltd, NOSDRA, NUPRC, Rivers State Ministry of Environment, and the representatives of Buguma community visited the site on 6th December 2024, during which certain directives were issued to the Operator to forestall further escalation,” Pondi stated.
“Consequently, the incident has resulted in air pollution and significant contamination of bodies of water and farmland, leading to the loss of biodiversity and marine habitats, thereby exposing both Indigenous people and residents of Buguma and its environs to grave health risks and environmental hazards,” he added.
The lawmaker further stated that “The devastation occasioned by this incident can only be imagined. The affected communities have been languishing in squalor, considering that for over three months, economic activities centred around farming and fishing have come to an abrupt halt, with no access to safe drinking water, medical care, or the basic necessities of life.
“In response to our invitation to today’s Hearing, the NNPCL in a letter dated 4th March 2025, conveyed their inability to attend today’s engagement and sought an extension for three weeks, to enable them to provide necessary information and appear accordingly.”
