Environment
Environmental advocacy groups have called on the Federal Government, the Delta State Government and Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) to urgently contain an oil wellhead blowout in Uzere community, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The groups said the incident, which reportedly began on June 27 following equipment failure at a Heritage Energy-operated facility, had continued for more than one month, causing extensive environmental degradation and humanitarian concerns.
The call was contained in a joint statement issued by several environmental organisations and made available to journalists on wednesday.
According to the activists, the spill has devastated farmlands, destroyed aquatic ecosystems, displaced residents and disrupted livelihoods, particularly in Uheri Quarter of the Uzere Kingdom.
They described the incident as another reminder of the environmental challenges confronting oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, where decades of oil exploration have left widespread ecological damage.
Uzere is regarded as one of Nigeria’s earliest oil-producing communities, second only to Oloibiri in present-day Bayelsa State.
Executive Director of the Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), Mr Benin Richard, described the incident as an environmental emergency requiring immediate intervention.
Richard said the company had reportedly reached out to the community but argued that the response had not matched the scale of the disaster.
“What we are witnessing in Uzere is nothing short of an environmental emergency. This equipment failure has unleashed a catastrophe that will take years to remedy.
“We cannot continue to treat these spills as isolated incidents when they represent a pattern of negligence that has plagued our oil-producing communities for decades,” he said.
Chairman of the Isoko Environment Monitoring Committee (IEMC) and Director of Climate Justice at the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), Dr Maimoni Ubrei-Joe, called for immediate environmental restoration.
He said affected communities had suffered severe losses, including destruction of crops, depletion of aquatic resources and displacement of families.
“The joint investigation visit was a necessary first step, but Heritage Company must move beyond token gestures and demonstrate genuine commitment to the people.
“This is not merely an environmental issue; it is a human rights crisis requiring coordinated action from government and the company,” Ubrei-Joe said.
Executive Director of the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Mr Philip Jakpor, urged authorities to pursue long-term solutions beyond emergency response.
Jakpor called for comprehensive environmental remediation, adequate compensation for victims and an independent investigation into the equipment failure.
“The era of impunity must end. This is a battle for environmental justice, sustainability and the future of our communities,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Convener of NGOs for a Better Delta, Mr Osariodion Andrew Ugbogbo advocated a multi-stakeholder town hall meeting involving the affected community, government agencies, civil society organisations and the operating company.
According to him, such engagement would help develop lasting solutions, including environmental restoration, fair compensation and stronger regulatory oversight.
Executive Director of the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), Mr Chima Williams, criticised what he described as prolonged inaction over the incident.
Williams said the continued failure to contain the blowout had worsened environmental damage and forced residents to abandon their homes.
He urged both the Federal and Delta State Governments to ensure that the operator fulfilled its environmental responsibilities.
Also commenting, Niger Delta youth activist, Mr Idowu Esegu, alleged that oil-producing communities continued to bear the environmental cost of petroleum production while receiving inadequate protection.
He said community leaders had already written to the company demanding urgent intervention and had advised residents living close to the affected area to relocate from the danger zone.
The organisations proposed several measures, including the declaration of a state of emergency in the affected communities, establishment of an emergency relief fund, an independent forensic investigation into the cause of the blowout and comprehensive environmental remediation.
Other recommendations include community health assessments, periodic public updates on cleanup activities, stronger environmental regulations, legal support for affected residents, disaster preparedness plans for oil-producing communities and the establishment of a multi-stakeholder oversight committee to monitor restoration efforts.
As of the time of filing this report, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited had not issued an official public statement on the incident or responded to the allegations contained in the activists’ statement.
The environmental groups expressed hope that the company would respond promptly and work with relevant authorities and the affected community to address the situation. (NAN)
Tags: Environmental Groups Uzere oil spill