By Samuel Oyadongha
Yenagoa – The rural settlement of Emago-Kugbo, a border settlement between Bayelsa and Rivers has been hit by oil spills leading to the destruction of community farmland and creek, their source of drinking water.

Emago-Kugbo, though administratively situated in Abua-Odual local government area of Rivers State is closely linked with the Ogbia speaking Ijaw folks and shared a common untarred road with Otuabagi community in Ogbia council area.

The cause of the spills said to have occurred along a delivery pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company could not be immediately ascertained.

But sources from the area told Vanguard that the spill which devastated the community farmlands and means of water supply was first noticed in December while a second spill was recorded January 22, 2011.

Though a source at Agip said the ruptured spots had since been clamped but the community dismissed the claim saying traces of the crude on the environment could still be seen and that their children are worst hit with some death recorded.

The Acting Paramount ruler of the community, Chief J.O Walters-Imodo who confirmed the spill lamented that their means of livelihood have been destroyed as a result of the incessant spills recorded over time.

Chief Walter-Imodo while receiving the Environment Right Action (ERA) Field Coordinator in Bayelsa State, Comrade Alagoa Morris who visited the impacted site noted with sadness that the company was yet to clean up the impact environment.

“Our means of livelihood has been seriously affected as fish ponds, creeks and other bodies of water in the bush and farmlands have all been impacted. In fact, we are dying. Last year we lost children in this community as a result of the pollution of our only source of drinking and bathing water. These children who died in large numbers has similar health conditions before they died; gastro problems,” he lamented.

Also speaking, the ERA Field Coordinator in Bayelsa State, Comrade Alagoa Morris called on the company to take urgent steps to clean up all oil spills impacted sites in the affected area including the creeks and other bodies of water.

The clean up sites he said should be followed up with remediation to ensure the impacted environment regain fecundity.

While calling on Agip, the Ministry of Niger Delta and other interventionists agencies to take step to construct access road to open up the area the environmentalist pleaded with the federal and state governments to set up separate agencies to ensure that oil spill impacted sites are not only clean up but be seen to be promptly cleaned up and remediated.