- The oil spill in the Obololi community has contaminated local water sources, forcing residents to rely on expensive sachet water.
- Community leaders warn that the ongoing water scarcity could trigger a cholera outbreak amid deteriorating sanitation.
- Although SPDC has shut off oil feeds from the leaking pipeline, promised relief efforts and infrastructure repairs remain unfulfilled.
Residents of the Obololi community in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State are increasingly frustrated by the absence of relief efforts following an oil spill on February 16.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the incident has contaminated their primary water source the Obololi River and nearby creeks—forcing residents to rely on sachet water for daily use, a measure that has driven up costs and raised concerns about a potential cholera outbreak.
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The spill, caused by a leak from an underwater pipeline, was traced by the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency to the Nun River-Kolo Creek pipeline, which is operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
Speaking on Tuesday, Goodnews Okoi, Chairman of the Obololi Community Development Committee, highlighted the severe water scarcity and the heightened risk of cholera as critical outcomes of the contamination.
Okoi lamented that residents have been left to bear the brunt of the crisis. “We feel abandoned. This oil spill has devastated our community—our fishing activities have stopped, and our farmlands and creeks are now polluted.
The cost of water has doubled, now N50 per sachet and N800 per bag, which is unbearable in these tough economic times. SPDC has shown no concern for our suffering, saying they will only act if a Joint Investigative Visit confirms the cause as equipment failure,” he said.
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While the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Environment recently visited the community, no relief measures have been implemented. Moreover, Local Government Chairman Target Segibo’s promise to repair a borehole has stalled after the submersible pump failed.
Okoi also expressed concerns over NOSDRA’s recommendation to divert the river to access the leak point, questioning how such an action might disrupt the transport of essential goods. “Since mid-February, we have suffered without any support from the company. We need immediate action to address this crisis,” he concluded.
