Again, oil spill recorded from Exxon Mobil facility in Akwa Ibom

Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has recorded another major oil spill from Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/MPN joint Venture offshore.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday, a Community Leader, Chief Okon Udofia, confirmed the oil spill at Eneh Awa and other shoreline communities in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom.

Udofia said the community observed the oil spillage on the shoreline (Eastern part of Ibeno) on Wednesday.

The Community leader explained that Eneh Awa village was where the community first noticed the oil spill, which is 14 kilometres from Ibeno beach.

He decried the nonchalant attitude of the oil giant towards the community as regards oil spillage and other environmental hazards from the company.

Udofia lamented that ExxonMobil had not lived up to its expectation since they changed their name from Mobil to ExxonMobil.

He said: “Ibeno community has over the years been subjected to environmental hazards from the activities of MPN.

“We have written to National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency, Department of Petroleum Resources and other governmental agencies as regard Tuesday’s major oil spill from ExxonMobil facility.”

NAN reports that the oil spill occurred from MPN facility on September 6 in Eneh Awa village in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

NAN also recalls that the oil producing areas of Akwa Ibom State had witnessed over three major oil spillages from ExxonMobil facility in 2016.

The Mobil Producing Nigeria declared force majeure on oil spillage occurring from its facility off shore (Qua Iboe Terminal) on July 22, 2016.

Reacting to the Development, Ogechukwu Udeagha, Manager, Media and Communications of MPN, told NAN that the oil giant was notified of an alleged sighting of oil along Ibeno on Wednesday.

Udeagha, however, said there were no reported upsets from Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited facility.

He restated the commitment of the company to protect the environment of its neighboring communities.