By: Frank David
From: Asaba
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, has dragged the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company Limited, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta state over its refusal to carry out clean-up exercise as well as its refusal to pay a One million naira (N1,000,000.00) sanction slammed on her for defaulting.
The PPMC is in the business of installation, maintenance of NNPC pipelines as well as the marketing of its petroleum products in Nigeria.
An oil vessel, J.S. Amazing belonging to the PPMC had in June 2009 capsized along the PPMC jetty at Ijala and discharged its content (LPFO) into the Warri river, leaving several coastal communities polluted, including Ugbodede in Warri South local government area of Delta State.
NOSDRA in a swift response embarked on a Joint Investigation Visit, JIV, with other relevant stakeholders, including representatives of PPMC on several occasions in June, July, August and September 2010 to the impacted site and also assessed the effect of the spill on the environment after which it directed PPMC to take immediate steps to effect clean-up and remediation, including payment of adequate compensation to the affected communities and persons.
In a 16 paragraph statement deposed to by NOSDRA before the court, they stated that the defendant paid deaf ears to numerous instruction to effect compliance with the agency order of clean-up, failing which NOSDRA had to slam a N1m sanction on PPMC which was also not remitted till date.
The matter which came up for trial on February 9 at the Federal High Court, Asaba before Justice Ibrahim Buba was however adjourned to March 15 for further hearing.
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