Precisely two days after the host community issued a seven day ultimatum to Exxonmobil to pay the N26.5 billion as compensation for the 9th November, 2012 oil spill, industry regulator has ordered the multi-national to commence another clean up exercise.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) gave the order at a meeting with management of the oil firm on Friday at QIT for a fresh clean up exercise.
It was gathered from a source who pleaded anonymity, that the fresh clean up exercise may not be unconnected to the large volume of crude oil that escaped into the Atlantic coast during the 9th November, 2012 oil spill incidence.
Though the management of the oil firm claimed it was only 200 barrels that leaked into the coast destroying farm lands, fishing businesses and aquatic lives.
A society watch dog, Eket Federal constituency vanguard dismissed the claims as false, baseless and unbecoming of a company that claims its operation meet international best practices.
Meanwhile, the community maintained that it was 200,000 barrels that actually leaked into the coast not 200 as claimed by them. This is the genesis of the N2.5billons.
In swift reaction to the 200 barrels claim, the group said, it’s simple knowledge that if the oil spill occurred on 9th and on the 10th Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited officially admitted 200 barrels and it took them forty one days with good equipment to complete the clean up. This is ridiculous and deceitful.
On what could inform the decision of NOSDRA to order for a fresh clean up, the group responded, it’s simple that the clean-up of the last exercise was not complete.
Equally the large number of personnel’s engage for the duration of the exercise to clean-up just 200 barrels is absurd.
It was further gathered, that two indigenous contractors had already been penciled for the seven days job that would commence any moment from now.
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