By Akanimo Sampson
The Anglo-Dutch oil and gas major, Shell, has denied responsibility for the dead fishes floating and littering the coastline of the Niger Delta.
The oil major Nigeria’s main oil and gas region as the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The massive dead fishes floating near the Atlantic coastline in the vastly polluted oil and gas region sparked off a worrisome row.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) had said it found no oil spills linking the dead fishes floating near the coastline in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
But, Furoebi Akene, an environmentalist, was attributing the dead fishes littering the oil region’s coastline to discharge of toxic chemicals from Shell’s operations at the Forcados oil export terminal.
NOSDRA was however, established by the National Assembly Act of 2006 as an institutional framework to coordinate the implementation of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) for Nigeria following the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC 90) to which Nigeria is a signatory.
While Akene agrees that the dead fishes were not caused by oil leakage as found out by NOSDRA, he maintains that the disclosure was capable of misleading conclusions as the investigation results were being awaited by stakeholders.
Akene who is chairing the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Environmental Preservation and Development (CEPAD) was alleging that Shell discharged toxic materials in the Atlantic off Delta coastline at Ogulagha.
“It has also become a common knowledge that Shell discharged sludge mixed with chemicals into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The discharge through one of their waste disposals pipes from the Forcados Terminal around Ogulagha was no oil spill from any of the trunk line pipes conveying crude oil from the Forcados terminal.
“The conspiracy between Shell and NOSDRA which has become very strong since the DG of NOSDRA is making all efforts to downplay the act and divert attention. It is heartbreaking and surprising that the Federal Government regulation agency, NOSDRA is just waking up with a press release.
“The NOSDRA Director-General, Idris Olubola Musa, acted belatedly almost three months since the incident happened around the end of January 2020, having earlier given the excuse that the COVID-!9 was a hindering him.
“Not only the belated nature of the response but the premature position while the results are awaited is intended to shield or conceal the real cause of the matter, the facility that caused it and the owners of the facility.
“This is quite unfortunate of a regulation agency. We are using this medium in appealing to NOSDRA to for once do the right thing as they are statutorily mandated to do. In the same vein we are urging the governments of the affected states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, and their respective national and state legislators to rise to their responsibilities to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion for the lives of their citizens”, Akene says.
Apparently piqued, Musa, the NOSDRA big boss is busy dismissing Akene’s claims and restating the commitment of the spill agency to its mandate and more stringent regulation of the maritime domain within Nigerian territorial waters.
Musa said NOSDRA was coordinating a muli-agency investigation aimed at unravelling the cause of the reported massive death of fishes within the country’s territorial waters and was looking beyond the oil spill.
He explained that other regulatory agencies with mandates of safety in the maritime space were deploying their expertise in the ongoing investigation assuring that the process was being carried out with best practices.
“The event of the death of fishes in large numbers makes it expedient to look beyond oil spillage as the likely cause death of fishes in such large numbers as we found no trace of leakage to link with the dead fishes.
“The Agency proceeded to collect samples of water, sediments and some of the dead fish for laboratory testing. In doing so the agency brought on board other relevant agencies of government that have a mandate on our territorial waters.
“Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Federal Institute of Fisheries Research. Also included is the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for an all hands on deck assessment of the possible cause or causes of death of the fishes in such large numbers,” Musa says.
He said the results of the ongoing laboratory analysis will be compared with results from the participating agencies to proffer an effective solution and to ensure more stringent regulations in the future.
Continuing, he said it was situations like this that informed the agency’s limitations to the use of chemical dispersants in the water bodies near human settlements and assured that NOSDRA remains committed to a sustainable environment.
Since February, residents along the Atlantic coastline in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom have reported massive death of croaker fish specie thus raising concerns of increased toxicity of the territorial waters.
Responding, Shell said in a statement that there was no discharge of toxic chemicals from its operations at the Focados crude export terminal off Delta.
Shell’s Media Relations Manager, Bamidele Odugbesan, said in the statement that there was no oil leakage from its activities linked to the dead fishes.
Odugbesan says Shell was supporting the Delta State Government in investigating the cause of the massive death of fishes as well as participating in ongoing joint investigation by oil industry regulators.
“The SPDC hereby clarifies that there is no release of dangerous, toxic or chemical substances from its operations at the Forcados Oil Terminal, or from its facilities in Ogulagha or any part of the Niger Delta where the company operates.
“Relevant government agencies are already investigating the alleged fish kill incident along the coastline in the Niger Delta and SPDC is supporting the investigations.
“NOSDRA was widely reported to have clearly stated that there is no evidence that oil and gas operations may have impacted the aquatic environment as being claimed in respect of the fish kill incident.
“On our part, we are working with the relevant government agencies and the Delta State Ministry of Environment in the investigation of the allegation.
“We have conducted a joint investigation visit to the coastline, samples have been collected and testing is ongoing in accredited laboratories,” Odugbesan stated.
