Gbaramatu fishermen send SOS to PPMC over oil spillage killing their fish

By Shina Badmus

The Egbema/Gbaramatu Fishing Multi-purpose cooperative Society Limited has frowned at the oil spillage that has caused devastation to the source of income of its members.

This was made known by the executives of the organisation in a letter addressed to the Pipeline Product and Marketing Company (PPMC), in defense of their members, which GbaramatuVoice was in possession of.

The letter was signed by the Chairman of the cooperative, Evang. Poweide Blessing. The letter mentioned communities that were affected by the spill to include Ikpopo, Tebujo, Oburu and Olukperebu.

Part of the letter pointed out that PPMC had neglected to take action on areas where the spill had spread, thereby leaving the people of the affected areas to their fate.

 “The said crude oil spill was first spotted at about 4pm on April 3 2019, at night on the river. And on the April 5, the leaked oil landed the river bank and killed many cart fish that were in cage,” said Blessing.

He added, “After much investigation and consultation, our attention was drawn to an oil spill that happened at Saghara creek as a result of a leakage from one of the PPMC’s export line which is located inside of the creek. The communities mentioned are 20/25 kilometre away from the ruptured pipe location.”

This was even as Blessing said that the PPMC was responsible for the oil spillage that has caused untoward damage to them. He ascertained that prove of it were “samples of the oil from the said spill taken from the river.”

Blessing, while describing the extent of the damage, cried out that the spill had constituted unexpected hardship to an extent that fishermen from the communities were in sorrow.

It was gathered that the situation had destroyed large portion of their fishes leaving them in a state of quagmire, as according to the source, who appeal to the PPMC to look into the matter and provide adequate and proper compensation to the affected fishermen.