"Oil Spill: Environmentalist writes Bayelsa governor, seeks help for impacted community", 4 June 2017

Mr Alagoa Morris, an Environmentalist, has written a protest letter to Governor Seriake Dickson, deploring the poor response to oil pollution incidents in Bayelsa. The environmental rights activist...lamented the state government’s silence on the lingering oil spillage incident at Yiba-Ama community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state. Morris, also the project officer and head of Environmental Rights Action [Friend of the Earth Nigeria] Niger Delta Resource Centre, regretted that proceeds from oil derivation accruing to the state were not being channelled to conservation...Morris said that ERA/FoEN had visited the impacted sites six times where swamps, ponds and the general environment of the community had been destroyed...According to him, SPDC had been allegedly foot-dragging to commence clean-up of the area for the past two years despite public outcry...“Shell has done nothing, practically nothing whatsoever, about this nagging issue which has serious implications on the well- being of the environment, health and livelihood of the people of Yiba-Ama community and, by extension, Bayelsa State...", he stated...However, SPDC spokesperson, Mr. Joseph Obari, said that the affected community denied the oil company access to the spillage site which delayed its response. ‘’The clean-up and remediation of the impacted creek in Oruma (Yiba-Ama) community was not completed until April 2017, because the community denied our Oil Spill Response Team access to the spill site. ‘’The denial of access was despite several engagements of leaders of the community.’’