Rivers Community cry out for help over water pollution

Residents of Agba-Ndele in Emohua local government area of Rivers State have cried out to the Federal Government to come to their rescue over the devastating effects of the oil spillage which occurred in the community more than three weeks ago.

Some of the community members who made their plight known to journalists in Port Harcourt, capital city of the state, yesterday, said they were going through untold hardship following the oil spill.

The Residents lamented that the level of contamination done on the Agba-Ndele River which, according to them, was their source of drinking water, had become unbearable as it had completely cut them off from their source of livelihood.

The people alleged that the spill was caused by a damaged facility belonging to the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.

One of the residents lamented: “We use this water for fishing, drinking, bathing, and other things. All that is gone today as we are now stranded and crying for help. It is through fishing here that we train our children.

“It is our only source of income. Today we cannot earn anything, anymore. All of us are dying. This is why we are calling on the Federal Government to come and help us. We wave the oil aside and drink the water,” he lamented.

Another resident cried out: “We no longer get anything from the River. We are hungry. We are dying. My husband can no longer carry out his fishing occupation. Our children are suffering.”

Reacting to the oil spill, the lawmaker representing Emohua Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Sam Oge, who had earlier visited the oil spill site, expressed sadness over the condition of the people of Agba-Ndele.

Hon. Sam Oge told newsmen: “From what we saw there, the people need this water to survive. You can see somebody jumping into the polluted water to take his bath. You know the result of that. And the company responsible for this has not even come to the site to see what remedial actions they can take.

“This matter will be taken seriously. We will ensure that we bring the appropriate company to book and ensure that they do what they are supposed to do,” Hon. Oge vowed.

Meanwhile Shell has kept silent over the oil spill.