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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Concerns have heightened in Opu Nembe in Bayelsa State over the prolonged gas leak from Santa Barbara field Oil Mining License (OML) 29.
Its operator, Aiteo Eastern Exploration Company, had on November 5 announced a gas leak from its facility. The toxicity in the air as a result of the gas leak has put the people of the community on the edge.
A community leader, Nimibofa Degi, said most people in the impacted areas are living in fear.
According to him there has been an increase in the number of people having respiratory challenges which has triggered a fresh wave of fears in the community.
He disclosed that a four-year-old girl developed complications following complaints of stomach upset and difficulties in breathing.
Degi said the toddler was being transported to a health centre at Opu-Nembe from the fishing camp when she died.
“The death of this four- year- old girl who is suspected to have died of Methane gas poisoning and we have expressed worries to the King that if nothing is done urgently, more deaths will be imminent.
“As a Biochemistry major, I know how toxic methane gas can be and we call for an emergency air quality audit to ascertain the toxicity levels in the impacted communities. If not for the resilience and robust immunity of the rural settlements, more people should have developed severe complications, the results of the air quality tests would go a long way to determine if evacuating the people is necessary.
“The well in question is a gas well with about 80 per cent has and 20 per cent crude reserve, and the ongoing response by more than 50 oil workers is on oil recovery while the toxic gas escapes into the atmosphere,” Degi said.
