Business
How Shell Destroyed The Livelihood Delta Community Residents With Toxic Spills- ERA/FoEN
How Shell Destroyed The Livelihood Delta Community Residents With Toxic Spills- ERA/FoEN
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has raised an alarm over another incident of toxic spills from Shell’s facilities in the Odimodi Community in Delta State, causing the death of hundreds of fish along the creek.
Odimodi community originated from Amatu in present-day Bayelsa State and it is the headquarters of Iduwini Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State. The community has an estimated population of 15,000 people.
ERA/FoEN in its field report available on its website stated that “On Sunday, August 21, 2022, ERA/FoEN received a distress call from the community reporting spill of waste petroleum products that spewed from Shell’s waste disposal pipeline that carries products from the Focardos Shell’s terminal down to the high sea.”
Communities around the Iduwini Kingdom including Odimodi are host communities to Shell, Agip, and other companies. It is also part of the Forcados terminal, trans Ramos pipeline, SPDC export line, loading platform, and Agip Beniboye cooked wells.
Dere Podoki, Community PRO, said “Last week Wednesday, August 17, 2022, we received a telephone call from the motorcyclists in the community that the valve on Shell’s wastewater disposal pipeline was faulty and spilling toxic chemicals into the creek.
According to him, the community confirmed the information to be correct when they rushed to the site. The incident allegedly occurred on August 19, 2022, and the community has made some swift moves by reporting to Shell, owners of the facility, and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the regulator.
Both bodies were yet to respond to the letters from the community as at the time the field investigation was made by ERA/FoEN, the environment group noted.
The ERA/FoEN report notes that the spill site is not so close to where people are residing the creek served as one of the fishing sites for most of the community folks and it also served as a source of water for domestic use for some homes. Apart from dead fishes seen floating, oil sheen was also seen visibly floating on the surface of the water. The affected areas are producing an offensive odour which is one of the reasons why the fishes in the creek are dying.
Fred Obi, a retired police officer and an owner of a fish camp in Odimodi Community, said “When I retired in 2017, I came into fish farming, and I established fish ponds on the shore and off the shore but when the 2018 pollution came all the fish I had all died and none was left. At a time I relied on the life mangrove fish ponds that became unproductive as a result of the spill. All the fish I imported and stocked died because of the pollution.
“At the moment the 2018 spill is still visible in the creek (the mound under the river is soaked in crude). Before the spill, I can easily catch a lot of Bonga fish and the small fishes I also used as fish feeds have all gone. My major demand is that Shell should restore the environment and compensate me for the loss because their spill swept away my retirement benefit.”
Alagoa Morris, one of the authors of the ERA/FoEN report stated that “Shell must as a matter of urgency return to the community to conduct the post-impact assessment and put machinery, please to clean up all affected areas in the community by the crude spillage of 2018 and the present pollution from the wastewater disposal pipeline.”
Odimodi community has become a polluted colony with unaddressed crude oil spillage of 2018 and the August 19, 2022 wastewater spillage.
*Day Two of Decentralized Intelligence 2024 V2: A Deep Dive into Blockchain, Web3, and AI
The second and final day of the Decentralized Intelligence 2024 V2, a Blockchain, Web3, and AI Summit, concluded with a workshop at the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos. The two-day event, organized by the Blockchain Nigeria Users Group (BNUG) and sponsored by the Afriq Group of Companies, brought together leading minds in the tech, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence sectors.
Day two focused on a series of in-depth workshops that provided delegates with practical knowledge and insights into blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Participants had the chance to engage directly with some of the industry’s most respected figures. Among them were Jesam Michael, CEO of Afriq Group of Companies; John Orakwe, an AI specialist; Dr. Paul Chima, a chiropractor with interests in tech and innovation; Ladi Willie, a business journalist at Channels TV; and Chimezie Chuta, Founder of BNUG and Chairman of the Nigeria Blockchain Payment Systems Council (NBPSC).
Each expert contributed to discussions that ranged from the future of blockchain in Africa to the intersection of AI and Web3 technologies. The sessions offered valuable opportunities for attendees to deepen their understanding of the rapidly evolving tech landscape, with a particular focus on the practical applications and implications of these technologies for the Nigerian market.
The Afriq Group of Companies, as the major sponsor, made a lasting impression during the summit. Jesam Michael, CEO of Afriq Group, delivered a thought-provoking speech that resonated with the audience. He began by expressing his appreciation to BNUG for creating a platform that fostered learning and collaboration within the tech community.
“I celebrate ideas,” Jesam Michael remarked, acknowledging the vision and effort behind the summit. “Let’s thank Mr. Chimezie Chuta and his team for putting up this wonderful idea, allowing crypto and tech lovers to come and learn for free. If this event had been organized by a foreign counterpart, this hall would have been overflowing with people because they support each other. Yet here in Nigeria, we find ourselves caught up in internal conflicts, cyberbullying, and character attacks.”
His address highlighted the importance of unity and support within Nigeria’s tech community, emphasizing the potential for growth if individuals could rally behind one another. Jesam Michael also underscored the role of technology in creating positive social impact, saying, “My thoughts are to see you stand tall, helping the less privileged, the widows, the aged men and women, and contributing to the economy of our country.” He reiterated his commitment to supporting initiatives that promote progress and development.
The second day concluded with an atmosphere of optimism and excitement about the future of blockchain, Web3, and AI in Nigeria. Participants left the summit with fresh insights and new connections, poised to apply what they had learned to their respective fields.
Chimezie Chuta, reflecting on the event’s success, thanked all partners, speakers, and participants for their active involvement. He emphasized that the mission of BNUG is to continue to create platforms for knowledge-sharing and collaboration, ensuring that Nigeria remains at the forefront of the digital revolution.
The Decentralized Intelligence 2024 V2 Summit not only showcased the depth of talent and expertise within the Nigerian tech community but also underscored the importance of fostering collaboration for the growth of blockchain and AI technologies. The Afriq Group of Companies’ involvement, especially, served as a testament to the power of strategic partnerships in driving the country’s digital transformation forward.
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