An engineer and former staff member of TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Comrade (Engr) Igbini Odafe Emmanuel, has clarified the nature of the company’s operations in Rumuekpe Community, Rivers State, amid protests by residents over alleged neglect and environmental concerns.
Odafe said available production records show that TotalEnergies does not operate any crude oil or gas production well in Rumuekpe, explaining that the community hosts metering facilities and a segment of the pipeline used to transport crude oil produced from Oil Mining Leases (OML) 56 and 58 to the Bonny Terminal through a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) pipeline network.
According to him, Positive Displacement (PD) meters and meter-proving facilities were installed in Rumuekpe to determine the quantity of crude oil produced from OML 58 and injected into the SPDC pipeline system. He added that a similar arrangement exists at Batan in Delta State, where crude oil from OML 57 is transported through SPDC facilities to the Forcados Export Terminal.
He noted that while Rumuekpe and Batan communities do not host production wells, they remain critical locations within the oil transportation infrastructure, and therefore deserve adequate corporate attention.
Odafe acknowledged that cases of crude oil spills had been reported in the past, attributing such incidents to pipeline integrity failures or alleged vandalism. He stressed that regardless of the cause, TotalEnergies and its joint venture partner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), bear responsibility for remediation, compensation, and environmental care.
He further emphasised the need for sustained corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for host communities, including employment opportunities for indigenes and development projects.
“Whether or not there is crude oil spill, the company owes Rumuekpe community corporate social responsibility support. There are approved annual budgets for community development, but it is important to ensure that such funds are properly utilised for the intended purposes,” he said, calling on the company’s community affairs management to ensure accountability.
Odafe said his intervention was aimed at setting the record straight, while expressing support for legitimate demands by the community. He noted that he was not mandated by TotalEnergies to issue the clarification and recalled his past role as a labour leader who advocated socio-economic and environmental justice for Niger Delta communities and workers in the oil sector.
He also recounted alleged victimisation during his years of activism, stating that he was assaulted and dismissed from the company in 2000 following disagreements with senior management over labour and community-related issues.
Odafe maintained that transparency and truth remain essential for justice and peaceful resolution of disputes between oil companies and host communities in the Niger Delta.
Rumuekpe community has in recent days drawn attention through protests calling for improved engagement, environmental protection, and socio-economic benefits from oil companies operating infrastructure within their area.
