Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited has said that the oil spill that occured at its manifold at Ogale in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers on Monday was an operational accident.
The admission came as the Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Brain Gokpa, demanded that urgent steps be taken to clean up the spill.
The admission by Shell was made by the the company’s Head of Government Relations, Asomba Meshach, during a meeting with the council chairman at Ogale.
Meshach outlined steps taken so far to contain the spill and pledged further investigations to determine the cause of the spill.
Gokpa thanked SPDC for admitting to the accident that caused the spill as he said previous spills in the region had often been blamed on sabotage. He stressed the severe impact of the spill on farmlands and underground water sources, urging the company to act swiftly.
“The newly affected area is not covered by the UNEP report and therefore requires a fresh cleanup,” he said.
The chairman also reiterated the council’s support for renewed oil exploration in Eleme highlighting the region’s rich mineral resources. However, he criticized SPDC’s handling of community relations, calling for a more transparent and responsible approach.
The Chief Press Secretary to the council chairman, Hon. Udeme Obot, in a press release said the council has launched its own inquiry into the incident, and had carried out an inspection of the affected SPDC manifold and another spillage site operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC), where pipelines were observed to be deteriorating.
“Environmental concerns remain high in Ogale, with local leaders pressing for urgent intervention to mitigate the damage and prevent future incidents,” Obot said.
