EKET, (AKWA IBOM)- The Ibeno Local Government Oil Spill Liaison Committee has
concluded inquiry into the February 28, oil spill from the Idoho crude oil pipeline at the Qua Iboe oil fields in Akwa Ibom.

Mr. Kingsley Mfom, Secretary, Ibeno Local Government Council told newsmen at Ibeno that the committee was determined to ensure that stakeholders complied with laid down procedures.

Mfom said the committee observed that Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), operator of the Qua Iboe oil fields, adopted a “strange” method of assessing oil spill impact on its host community.

“The norm is to constitute a Joint Inspection Visit (JIV) comprising, the oil company, regulatory agency and community representatives to evaluate the effect of the spill.

“They were also to determine the cause and volume of spill, but this was not done, rather the oil company constituted a team without carrying the community along,” Mfom said.

The Oil Spill Liaison Committee’s report noted that the technical investigation team raised by the Department of Petroleum Resources at the instance of MPN violated the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Act of 2006.

“The act mandates NOSDRA to play a leading role in oil spill management in the country.
“NOSDRA Act No 15 of 2006 stipulates that the spiller must report any oil spill incident within 24 hours or pay a penalty of N500, 000 for each day of default.

“But between Feb. 28 and May, no Joint Inspection Visit (JIV) was conducted, only for DPR and not NOSDRA to lead an assessment exercise on May 23,” the report stated.

The report also indicated that there was a mistrust between the oil company and the host community on compensation for the oil spill, which led to the direct intervention of Akwa Ibom government.

The council secretary said that only a properly constituted Joint Inspection Visit would establish the impact of the oil spill using scientifically verifiable methods.

Mr. Edopese Enyina , Secretary, Ibeno Oil Spill Liaison Committee also told NAN that the committee was worried by the violation of the oil spill management procedure.

He said that the committee had drawn the attention of Mobil Producing and Akwa Ibom government to the violation.