Assembly probes firm over alleged neglect of oil spills in Rivers community

Rivers State House of Assembly has ordered a probe on Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, over allegations of neglected of oil spills that devastated B-Dere Community in Gokana Local Government Area of the state. The call for the probe came following a petition written against the company by the community through their Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Hamilton Odom & Co.

The petition was signed by ESV Hamilton Odom and presented on the floor of the House by the Deputy Speaker. The Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule referred the petition to the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions, which is Chaired by Hon. Dr. Enemi Alabo George. The B-Dere community in the petition noted that on May 7th, 2025, an oil spill occurred along the 24 Ogale-Bomu Pipeline criss crossing their area explaining that a report of the joint team officials from the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) including representatives from the impacted community established the cause of the leak as equipment failure.

They said: “The spill had a devastating impact on the vegetation health leading to stress, defoliation and death. The toxic hydrocarbons in the oil also penetrated plant tissues, disrupting physiological functions and impairing water and nutrient intake. This resulted in stunted growth, plant mortality and hindered regeneration particularly affecting young plants and seedlings. “The spill also contaminated underground water and disrupted economic activities such as farming leading to loss of income and livelihoods and causing psychological trauma and stress that can have long term effects on mental health and well-being of the people”.

The community stated that in spite of the adverse effects of the incident, the oil company had neither made an attempt to clean up the affected areas nor paid any form of compensation to the affected people. It read “More worrisome is the indifference and silence of the company over all matters relating to spill after the initial meeting between the representatives of the company and the community to agree on a fair or adequate compensation sum ended in a deadlock.” The community appealed to the House of Assembly to address the matter with utmost urgency insisting that Renaissance should bear sole responsibility for the spill since it resulted from an equipment failure, urging the lawmakers to hold Renaissance Africa Energy Limited accountable and responsible for the environmental damage caused by the spill.

However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions, Dr. Enemi Alabo George, who received the petition, said his committee would give it speedy consideration