Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The people of Brass Kingdom in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa have written to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) over what it called ’48 years of daily overwhelming ecological damage from Brass oil terminal by the company.’
The letter written on behalf of the community by the law firm, NTEPHE, SMITH and WILLS, and signed by Mr Iniruo Wills and Dr Dickson Omukoro, said it was a reminder for the company ‘to fulfil your overdue obligations on the Brass canal.’
The community lamented the delay in the remediation and compensation for the over 2.6 billion barrel of toxic waste dumped into the Brass canal due to the operational activities of the company in the area.
Expressing disappointment that all promises made by Agip management to the Bayelsa State Government and its host communities in Brass Local Government have been left unfulfilled, it frowned at the continued annual discharge of the over 150,000 barrels of toxic waste by the Italian oil giant into the Brass River through the canal which has contaminated the soil, groundwater and air quality of the area and degraded the health and livelihood of the people of Brass kingdom.
According to the community, the letter is a reminder to the company on the desperate need for proper remediation of the environmental damage caused by the continual discharge of toxic waste at the Brass terminal every day for 48 years.
It noted that the community needed adequate compensation based on impartial impact assessment and a restoration and pollution prevention plan per best practice.
The Brass Kingdom also drew the attention of NOAC management to the current long-drawn process for finding a lasting resolution of the continual scourge from Brass Canal/Oil terminal which has triggered lots of petitions and subsequent exchanges and engagement with the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and other regulatory agencies.
The people of Brass Kingdom insisted that though they have remained patient and law-abiding over the issue, they advised the company to stop attempts to compromise or induce key interests aimed at evading regulatory compliance, and frustrating the ministerial directive for an independent comprehensive impact assessment.
The letter reads in part:
‘In the interest of justice, amicable settlement and posterity of Brass Kingdom, we request you to indicate by Friday, June 12, 2020, your willingness to cooperate with the inter-agency regulatory team in allowing the conduct of a credible comprehensive Impact Assessment with our clients having an equal opportunity as NOAC to be represented through duly appointed renowned environmental experts.
‘You desist from all attempts and antics at arm twisting or unduly influencing any set of community leaders as trustees of the people of Brass Kingdom.’