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Residents of Bodo Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State are currently assessing the damage caused by a fire outbreak resulting from a spill, which has destroyed farmlands and rivers.
The most heavily impacted area by the spill and subsequent fire is in the vicinity of Sugi in Bodo City, located in Gokana, known as the center of oil exploration in Ogoni. This is also where the Federal Government launched the oil clean-up initiative.
According to reports, the spill occurred last Wednesday and was followed by a fire. Despite reaching out to the relevant authorities, no action has been taken to contain the fire and prevent further devastation.
Matthew, a father of two, expressed his distress, stating that the community is helpless in the face of this crisis.
Despite their efforts to mitigate the spill by digging large holes to contain the oil, the farmlands have been ruined, and families' livelihoods have been severely impacted.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has urged the authorities to promptly address the fire and implement measures to prevent future spills.
MOSOP president, Fegalo Nsuke, raised concerns about the safety of residents as the spill encroaches upon farmlands near residential areas and continues to spread in the Patrick waterfront neighborhood.
Nsuke criticized the authorities for their delayed response, emphasizing their lack of sensitivity to the detrimental effects of oil spills on the local population.
He called for immediate action to contain the spills and advocated for an integrity assessment of the pipelines in the Ogoni region and the wider Niger Delta, labeling them as potential hazards.
