By EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & TONY NYONG

UYO—Youths of Atia community in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have slammed Mobil Producing Nigeria, over its reaction to Monday’s oil spill that affected the community.

Mr. John Cyril, leader of the youths, reacting to a statement credited to the head office of Mobil on the spill, said same was unacceptable by the community.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Eket/Esit-Eket/Onna/Ibeno, Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, has urged  Mobil to immediately clean up the oil spill  from its Idoho platform in Akwa Ibom State, which he said had devastated the environment.

The spill which occurred at Atia community in Ibeno council, had polluted the fishing communities on the axis.

He also urged the oil company to begin immediate payment of compensation to the affected communities, adding that the spill extended from Esuk Ikimi, to other fishing communities, like Ekeme, Esuk Ikim Akwaha, Ndito Eka Iba, Itak Idim Ekpe, Itak Ifaha, Etio Esek, Atia, Okposo 1 and Okposo 2.

Similarly, Mr. Cyril, leader of youths of Atia community, accused Mobil of speaking from both sides of their mouth, noting that the statement contradicted the verbal commitment the company made to members of the community, when the incident occurred.

He said: “We cannot believe that the same company that caused the spill from Idoho platform will turn around and deny the source of the spill. It shows gross dishonesty for a company that presents itself as having high ethical standards.

“We are not going to take this lying low. It is unacceptable that Mobil officials in Qua Iboe Terminal engage in deceiving the community while their head office in Lagos is misinforming the world of what is happening in Akwa Ibom.

“There is no way they can escape liability because the times are changing. You can see that the oil spill agency recently fined Shell Petroleum Development Company of  $ 5 billion over poor handling of the Bonga oil spill, they should read the handwriting on the wall and wake up.”