Residents Lament Sleepless Nights as Gas Flaring Worsens in Akwa Ibom

For the residents of Ikot Ebidang in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, rest has been destroyed due to the oil and gas exploration operations in their area.

In addition to the foul odorthe toxic gas emissions that assaults anyone entering the area, the chaotic noises from the gas flaring operations have troubled some inhabitants and left those without other housing unable to sleep.

Ikot Ebidang, home to the Oil and Gas firm Natural Oilfield Service (Sterling Global), has sounded the alarm about environmental damage, decreased crop production, and adverse health effects caused by fossil fuel extraction.

A striking feature of the quiet community is the abundance of shadowy and eroded rooftops caused by combustion byproducts from the flare stack.

During a discussion on renewable energy, individuals condemned the damage to aquatic ecosystems, agricultural crops, along with the prevalence of heat and skin rashes that have

become widespread.

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A community stakeholder shared, “Our community has lost many individuals; our health is at risk.

“If you enter the community, you will notice the gas, not to mention those residing nearby.” This is not merely typical global warming but also community combustion.

Residents Lament Sleepless Nights as Gas Flaring Worsens in Akwa Ibom

The nutrient level in the soil is declining, and the gas flare has impacted marine ecosystems. Our rivers and forests are contaminated. I’m uncertain if it comes at the cost of one person or two who wish to engage in commerce; we are struggling and require assistance.

“Remaining here until approximately 7-8 pm, when everything is calm, the noise itself resembles an earthquake, instilling fear about what might come next.”

Meanwhile, the operating company did not sneak into the community to begin its activities, there must be a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them, the government and the community.

To this end, people of Ikot Ebidang have called for the renegotiation of the MoU granting the company access to their community to adequately address concerns around pollution and environmental harm.

In a communique, the people called on the Akwa Ibom government to halt fossil fuel extraction activities, and the operating company to pipe associated gas away from residential areas rather than flaring within the community.

“Continued flaring within the community worsens health outcomes, environmental degradation, and community vulnerability.

“The community must be compensated for livelihood losses and damages resulting from oil extraction, alongside the provision of adequate health facilities to help residents cope with ongoing impacts,” the communique added.

Gasflaring is illegal – Expert

According to an environmental expert, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, who is also the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, (HOMEF), one of the facilitators of the dialogue, gas flaring remains illegal and a violation of human rights in Nigeria, especially when done where people are living.

He stated that every community in the Niger Delta has serious environmental problems, noting that from the complaints of the people of Ikot Ebidang, they have surface knowledge of the implication and life threatening effects of gas flare.

His words, “Gasflare problem is central because of its implication to human health, environmental health.

Document Evidence of Negative Impacts – Community told

Meanwhile, the community has been told to document in real time all evidence of negative impacts of gas flare and oil spill they have witnessed.

Umo Isua-Ikoh of the Peace Point Development Foundation, PPDF, also one of the dialogue facilitators, and Edem Edem, the immediate past African representative of Climate Investment Fund of the World Bank, Washington DC, in their joint presentation, harped on the need to have evidence in case either of the parties wants to institute a legal action.

“In environmental monitoring, we are looking at how you can have a good evidence should you be taken to court or you want to go to court, so you must have something the court must accept such as a real time evidence for instance if there is an oil spill, you must have a picture of the spill with GPS camera so that location will be captured.