A recent fire outbreak at the OML 008 wellhead in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State, has sparked a heated dispute between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture (JV) and the affected host communities.
While the NNPCL/SPDC JV attributes the explosion to the activities of oil bunkerers, local youth groups under the Impacted States Youth Council of Nigeria accuse the operators of negligence.
Youths Blame Neglect
Fiawei Pathfinder, president of the youth council, claimed that the fire could have been avoided if the operators had conducted regular maintenance of the pipelines and oil infrastructure.
“The fire incident that has plunged Buguma and its environs into a terrible situation could have been avoided had the NNPCL/SPDC JV carried out quarterly checks on the pipelines and oil infrastructures,” Pathfinder stated. “These pipelines have been exposed to salty swamp water for decades without proper maintenance.”
Pathfinder further accused the operators of failing to respond promptly to the fire, leaving the community to deal with the devastation alone.
“We are pained that SPDC/NNPCL JV deliberately ignored the people of Buguma and the entire Kalabari Kingdom, major oil and gas-producing communities that contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economy,” he said.
Demands for Action
The youth council has outlined a series of demands for immediate action to address the situation:
- Housing and Healthcare: Construction of housing and healthcare facilities for Buguma and surrounding communities.
- Presidential Inquiry: A call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to establish a panel of inquiry to investigate the fire incident.
- Environmental Remediation: Comprehensive cleanup of the affected waterways and environment.
- Infrastructure Maintenance: Replacement and maintenance of the aging oil infrastructure.
- Compensation: Adequate compensation for the impacted communities and the provision of essential services, including pipe-borne water.
Operators Deny Negligence
In a counter-statement, the NNPCL/SPDC JV maintained that vandals were responsible for the explosion, dismissing allegations of neglect. They claimed that efforts were underway to contain the situation and mitigate the impact on the host communities.
Call for Government Intervention
The Buguma fire incident highlights the ongoing tensions between oil operators and host communities in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta. The affected communities are urging the federal government to take decisive action to prevent future incidents and ensure accountability.
As investigations continue, the incident has once again brought to the forefront issues of infrastructure decay, environmental degradation, and the welfare of host communities in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions.
