SCORES STILL MISSING, INJURED IN RIVERS COMMUNITY AFTER AGIP OIL SPILL

The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Abua/ Odual Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Hon. Oyekuto Ukwe has expressed concern that several people from Emago/Kugbo community in his locality are still missing or severely injured two months after a severe oil spill ravaged the area.
The spill which occurred in the area on July 21, this year from the facility of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC),led to the death of two persons and left several other members of the community seriously injured while crops and farmlands were severely damaged.

Wike
Ukwe who spoke in Abua/Odual local council when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Mrs. Ibinaba Briggs-Iti carried the campaign on “Sensitization on Flooding in the Flash Points LGAs of the State” to the area lamented that so many persons are still missing since after the spill. 
The local government boss said after the spill “we saw one corpse burnt beyond recognition. The only thing we used to recognize the corpse were the scars it had on its body. Up till now some persons in our community have not been found.”
He added that last month, a retired headmaster died of cholera and “as at last week if you go to the health centre in the community, you will find many persons admitted for cholera. I know it is because of cholera.”
He further confirmed that more than 30 people who suffered injuries as a result of the fire outbreak from the spill are still in various hospitals receiving treatment.
Continuing, he said that the spill was not caused by sabotage but rather due to the fact that some of the NAOC’s facilities in that area are old as well as alleged negligence of their staff.
He posits that “the Emago/Kugbo community cannot quantify the losses they had. We want to appeal to Governor Wike to do the best he can to compel Agip Oil Company to do the needful.”
However, Briggs-Iti who represented the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike said that the state government is interested in ensuring that the farmers remain in business, this, she added is why the government sent her to present items worth N15 million to the farmers in the area who suffered losses in the oil spill
 “The governor has sent his love to the entire community. The gifts we give you today are to give you the necessary support to at least alleviate your hardship in these times of trial.”