Yenagoa—Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Wednesday, inaugurated a technical committee over the recent oil spill that occurred at OML 29, Well 1, along Santa Barbara River in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.
According to Daniel Alabrah, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Douye Diri, the inauguration of the 11-man committee took place inside the Executive Chamber of Government House, Yenagoa.
Led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo SAN, the committee was mandated to liaise with relevant agencies of the federal government and to embark on a joint investigation visit (JIV) to the affected site to ascertain the extent of the damage.
Tariotu Lugard, special assistant to the Commissioner of Justice will serve as secretary of the committee.
The committee is expected to take action for the commencement of remediation and clean up of the environment as well as meet with affected communities to pursue adequate compensation.
Addressing members of the committee, Diri charged them to work according to their terms of reference in the interest of the people of the state.
He averred that they were selected based on their pedigree in various fields and should not compromise in their duty to ensure justice for the people and their environment.
Diri reechoed his call on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other federal agencies and organisations to come to the aid of the victims.
The Governor stated that it was unfair that lesser disasters in other parts of the country were given prompt attention but no such concern was shown for victims of the Nembe spillage despite the magnitude of the damage.
“I have carefully selected you and I know the pedigree of each and every one of you in this committee. There is no room for compromise and the only interest is that of the people and the government of Bayelsa State.
“I am sure you will do everything according to your terms of reference; to bring justice to our people and to ensure that our environment and our ecology will not be tampered with at the whims of anybody no matter how highly place.
“This is the first time in the history of oil and gas exploration in Bayelsa State, specifically in Nembe, that oil spilled from the Christmas tree directly and cannot be killed for more than one month, thereby causing untold hardship to our people. It damaged the ecology, the environment, the flora and fauna of our state as well as aquatic life and the livelihood of our people.
“Let me again call on NEMA to do the needful. We have seen situations that were lesser than what we saw in Nembe that it promptly responded to,” he said.
Chairman of the committee, Biriyai Dambo SAN, while responding thanked Diri for bringing together a crop of technical experts to look into the issue of the spillage.
Dambo assured that the committee would justify the confidence reposed in them and work to achieve the aim based on the terms of reference.
Members of the committee are the Commissioner for Environment, Iselema Gbaranbiri, Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Ebieri Jones, and a former Commissioner for Environment, Iniruo Wills.
Others are the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Prof. Iwokuma Agbozu, former Director, Centre for Niger Delta Studies, Prof. Solomon Ebobra, Mr Woyingikuro Agada, Engr. Enai Reuben, and the Deputy Director, Ministry of Justice, Emmanuel Yibawei.
It will be recalled that Well 1, OML 29, which is operated by Aiteo Exploration and Production Company Limited, had a blowout of hydrocarbon that lingered for 38 days before it was killed.
