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Ubeji Community demands N100m compensation |
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Sunday, 08 July 2007 |
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Nigerian Vanguard Newspapers Inferno: Ubeji community demands N100m compensation from WRPC
WARRI—THE fire rav aged Ubeji Community yesterday demanded a N100m compensation from the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company, WRPC, for causing a condensate spill that destroyed massive land, speed boats, canoes, fishing gears and untold hardship on the natives of Ubeji, Aja-Etan, Ifie-Tie, Ifie-Kporo and Jalla communities respectively.
However, the management of the WRPC politely told the 12-man delegation of the Ubeji people that they would have to carry out thorough Joint Investigation Visit to ascertain the real cost of damages caused by the spill even as they promised to send immediate relief materials to the community.
The company also promised to sink a bore hole in the community to provide an alternative source of drinking water just as it has set-up a committee to work out the methodology of cleaning up the spill.
When Vanguard visited Ubeji, Ifie-tie, Ifie-Kporo, Aja-Etan and Jalla communities yesterday the youth leaders, Mr.Clement Erewa, Segun Smart and Adolphose Tosanwumi were seen pacifying the agitated youths not to take the laws into their own hands, saying that the company has promised to look into their plight.
Meanwhile, the now deprived jobless riverine fishing people are lamenting the loss of their only means of livelihood as they were seen in very sorrowful mood bemoaning their situation.
It would be recalled that the WRPC has continuously discharged effluent from their plant into the tidal rivers of Warri, a situation Dr. Edmund Daukoru described as unacceptable and ordered the immediate clean-up that has not been undertaken before the condensate of Tuesday.
Vanguard exclusively reported that the contract for the clean-up of the environment has been awarded to commence last week, but sources alleged that the absence of a substantive Petroleum Minister has stalled the release of fund from the Ecological Fund for the take-off of the clean-up project.
The representatives of the 27 WRPC oil impacted communities, Messrs Brown Eyetemi and Dortie Alex told Vanguard at the scene that they are already in contact with the Environment Ministry officials, noting that WRPC have continually taken the Itsekiri communities for granted, warning that this current spill would bring out the militancy in them if that would move all arms of government to action that would save them from deliberate disregard and marginalization in the circumstance |
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