A massive gas leak has been detected in Sangama Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State from a facility recently divested by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC).
Residents said they first noticed the leakage a week ago lamenting that the NPDC had made no effort to contain it.
Youth Leader of Sangama Community, Mr. Iyalla John-Jumbo, said the community contacted Shell but no intervention was made by the company.
Jumbo regretted that the community had been deserted because of fears that there could be a repeat of the 2020 gas leak debacle in Bonny, which resulted in loss of taste and smell.
He said: “We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nyesom Wike, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari and other stakeholders to compel NPDC to quickly shut down the facility in order to mitigate any further impact on the area.”
But a source from NPDC, who spoke in confidence said a team had been mobilised to the site to assess the situation and make necessary interventions.
The Chairman of Bonny Council Area, Dame Anengi Barasua, urged residents of Sangama community not to panic over the development.
Barasua in a statement by the council’s Deputy Press Secretary, Boma Waribor, assured that efforts were already in place to bring the situation under control.
Barasua explained that an earlier attempt to interface with SPDC to take up responsibility for the gas leakage was not successful as the oil company claimed it had sold the facility to the NPDC.
The statement reads: “The authority of Bonny Local Government wishes to notify residents, particularly those living in Sangama community that the Government is well aware of the gas leakage that occurred in the said community and efforts are already in place to bring the situation under control.
“Earlier attempts by the Local Government to interface with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to take up responsibility for the gas leakage was not successful as SPDC claimed it had sold the facility to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC).
“The Local Government is currently up and about towards ensuring NPDC takes full responsibility for the situation, hence residents are advised to remain calm, as no stone will be left unturned in a bid to completely arrest the situation.”