Yenagoa—The Bayelsa State Government is set to commence a legal battle with Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, and other agencies over the outcome of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) at the spill site of OML 29, well 1 blowout along Santa Barbara river in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to reports by the Sun Newspaper, the JIV report signed by the representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission(NUPRC), and Aiteo had claimed that the blowout was caused by third-party interference.
It was reported that regulators in separate interviews after the JIV had insisted that the wellhead leak was impossible without third-party interference.
However, representatives of the Bayelsa state government rejected the JIV report by refusing to append their signature on the day of the visit, insisting that the Well blowout was caused by instruments failure contrary to claims of Aiteo and the regulatory bodies.
It was gathered that the Bayelsa State Government is already making plans to institute a court case against Aiteo to defend its people and its environment.
Biriyal Dambo, SAN, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, who is the head of the Technical Committee set up by the state government has been given the responsibility to file the case.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, also gave the technical team the mandate to get justice for the state with the government having ‘convincing evidence’ to show that NOSDRA and NUPRC are biased over the JIV report they released.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of Niger Deltans has accused NOSDRA and NUPRC of playing a script of Aiteo to produce a biased report not based on scientific evidence.
King Bubaraye Dakolo of Ekpetiama Kingdom in an interview said if NOSDRA and NUPRC insist the leak was sabotage then they should be able to produce the saboteur.
Dakolo, a chemical engineer and author of the book, Riddle of The Oil Thief, who was part of a team that was refused passage to assess the wellhead after it was plugged, questioned the claims of saboteur.
He stated that it is not possible for someone or a group of people to gain access to the facility to sabotage it with the naval houseboat within 200 metres radius of the facility.
Foremost environmentalist, Revd Nnimmo Bassey in his reactions dismissed the JIV as inappropriate and untrue.
Bassey noted that NOSDRA and NUPRC relied on hearsay because the damaged wellhead was already replaced before the visit.
He called on the Bayelsa state government and the people to insist on an independent forensic investigation.
In her comments, Niger Delta activist, Annkio Briggs said the outcome of the JIV shows that Niger Delta people do not matter to the government of Nigeria.
According to her, the Ijaw people have been subjected to rankling injustice and it is time for the Ijaw people to commence the process to leave Niger for good.
