Gov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers, on Tuesday inaugurated a 4.5 million
Dollars (N720 m) Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) sponsored
water scheme project at Aleto-Eleme
Amaechi said at the inauguration in Aleto-Eleme, in Eleme local
government that the project would supply portable drinking water to
about 40, 000 people in five communities in the area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is in-line
with the recommendation of the United Nations Environmental Programme
(UNEP) report on the area.
The Report stated that oil spills had contaminated both surface and
ground water at levels more than 900 times above the World Health
Organisation (WHO) prescribed safety limit.
It recommended that the Nigerian authorities compel multinational oil
companies operating in the area to clean up the pollution caused by
decades of oil exploration in the area.
Amaechi said that SPDC provided about 4.5 million dollars for the project while the state government executed it.
He explained that SPDC was not responsible for the oil pollution in
Aleto-Eleme but agreed to fund the project as part of its Corporate
Social Responsibility initiative.
“To an Eleme man; there is no difference between SPDC and NNPC and so
for me as a Governor of Rivers state I get very worried that we are
losing people every day because of the (crude) oil that they are
collecting.
“Companies are collecting our oil; companies are collecting our money
and our people are dying. We need to get water first to Eleme, and then
we go to Khana, Tai, Okirika and Oyibo.
“The water scheme will feed about 40, 000 Eleme people. I have
directed the Commissioner for Water Resources to expand the Eleme water
scheme so that it can reach the remaining communities that don’t have;
no politics about that.
“The council chairman and His Royal Majesty (of Eleme) will arrange
to set up a community-based team and their responsibility is to ensure
that they manage the funding (for maintenance) and the water.”
Amaechi thanked SPDC for its initial approach of “trucking of
portable water to some local communities” before the completion of the
water scheme.
In his response, Managing Director of SPDC, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu, who was
represented by SPDC Director for Business and Government Relations
unit, Mr. Jimmy Ahmed said the project which started in Aug. 2012, was
aimed to address potable water challenges faced by some communities.
He said the project was executed through a public-private partnership
which involved SPDC providing the funds and technical expertise, while
the state government provided infrastructure, supervision and
management.
The paramount ruler of the area, Chief Samuel Oluka Ejire expressed
optimism that the water scheme would reduce mortality rate caused by
polluted water.
He said the project meant that “both SPDC and the government have
partly elongated our lives and for which we are happy and excited”.
(NAN)
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