How Bayelsa community averted fire outbreak on Conoil Platform
Fresh facts Tuesday emerged on how indigenes of the Sangana community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State intervened and averted a major fire disaster on Conoil offshore platform code named Aunty Julie.
The fire incident, which occured on the major Oil Platform owned by ConOil and located offshore of deep sea of Sangana, lasted for over Seven hours on Friday before it was brought under control and put off by some bold indigenes.
Our correspondent gathered yesterday that instead of the Chevron Fire Service, alerted after the fire outbreak to arrive at the scene, indigenes of the community led by a known fire fighter, Ene Owei intervened and avert a major fire disaster.
A Safe Environment Advocacy, Environmental Right Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), in a report on the fire disaster, confirmed that while help was being awaited from Chevron fire fighters and equipment; it turned out to be that it was community folks who put out the fire at last.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Benjamin Ayibatonye, confirmed that ” actually, at the end of the day, It was not the Chevron people who came and put off the fire.
One Ene Owei, a fire fighter from Sangana community at about 9:00am on Friday, went to Aunty Julie, Conoil platform with a team of boys from the community to fight the fire and,
did so for about two hours and was able to put the fire off at about 11:00am on the platform and, in the presence of Engineer Oma, the Operational Manager of Conoil and one Mr. Bello Bina, who flew with helicopter to the platform. ”
”Thereafter, the team of boys was appreciated with a token of N1, 5million as a way of saying, well done by Engineer Oma’’
The Bayelsa State Coordinator of ERA/FoEN, Comrade Morris Alagoa described the role played by indigenes of the state as commendable, “not only for their bravery but considering the negative image oil companies also associated with youths in their areas of operation.
This is a positive example of community assistance to oil operations. This is quite exemplary and worthy of commendation.”
