Youths’ President, Ibeno Communities, Godwin Ikot, said that Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has ordered ExxonMobil to clean up the oil spill that occurred at Ndito Eka-Iba in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom on May 8.
Ikot disclosed this in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.
He said the governor, who spoke through Mr Etekamba Umoren, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), instructed the oil giant to commence the clean up immediately in the area.
“At the meeting yesterday, the SSG gave ExxonMobil the order from the governor, that they should go and start the clean up exercise immediately.
“ExxonMobil have agreed to clean up the spillage and fixed the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site of the incident for Friday, June 3,” he said.
Ikot noted that after the JIV, the oil giant company would negotiate how to clean the oil spill in the affected areas.
“We the youths in Ibeno Communities stand with the decision of state government, that ExxonMobil should clean up the entire areas affected by the oil spill,’’ Ikot said.
Ikot, however, decried that the recent oil spill was massive and has affected people in the oil producing areas of the state.
Mr Ogechukwu Udeagha, Manager, Media and Communications of ExxonMobil, Lagos confirmed the incident.
Udeagha, however, explained that the Monarch drilling rig, owned by Depthwize Nigeria Limited, drilling on behalf of Conoil Producing Limited, damaged an MPN pipeline culminating in an oil spill.
“I am still trying to get the report from the team that went there. They were supposed to file a formal report but they haven’t done that. Until we see that report, we can’t issue a statement,’’ Udeagha said.
Government officials, ExxonMobil and Depthwize team, youths of Ibeno among others were all represented at the meeting.
