By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—PROPERTY worth several billions of naira have been destroyed in the oil-rich states of Delta and Bayelsa as a result of spill involving 35,000 barrels of oil from ruptured oil pipelines.

The development which has adversely affected the environment in the two neighbouring states, yesterday, caused the House of Representatives to mandate its Committees on Emergency Management and Disaster to visit the affect areas to ascertain the gravity of the disaster with a view to avoiding future occurrence.

The House, in a motion sponsored by Mr. Julius Pondi, representing Burutu federal constituency of Delta State, expressed shock over the huge loss of property worth several billions of naira to the spill.

He expressed concern that the spill which he put at 35,000 barrels, had flowed and spread into the environment from the ruptured pipeline covering vast areas in communities of the two states.

He noted that the report of recent visit by oil industry stakeholders to the site of the spill revealed a massive devastation, dead fauna, sea and river creatures, a development that has put the economic activities of the people in  jeopardy.

He attributed the intermittent ruptures of pipelines to old age of the pipes, adding that the National Oil Spill and Remediation Agency, NOSDRA, and Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, were yet to disclose what caused the rupture of the pipelines.

He expressed worry that, “since the last five years, there have been incidents of burst or ruptured pipelines on at least four instances, October 5, 2013; January 3, 2012; September 3,  2013 and now this one on February 14, 2016.”

The House unanimously adopted the motion.

The House, therefore, mandated the relevant House Committees to undertake an assessment visit of the communities as well as National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies to visit and send relief materials to the victims and to report back to it in four weeks.