Korede Abdullah 
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori
DELTA, Nigeria – Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has ordered immediate medical intervention for communities affected by an oil spill along the Trans-Forcados pipeline, as the number of affected communities rises from 86 to 216.
Oborevwori gave the directive on Tuesday during an inspection visit to Odidi community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, where he ordered the Commissioner for Health to deploy medical teams to assess residents and determine the health implications of the pollution.
“We have to take this matter seriously. Once you see what is happening, you realise that it is a very big issue. We don’t want our people dying at this time. We cannot afford to lose our focus or waste time. We have to act quickly and decisively,” the governor said.
He also directed Heritage Energy to provide medical teams and relief materials to the affected communities, stressing that the response must go beyond compensation to protecting lives and restoring livelihoods.
Oborevwori said the affected communities had increased from the initial 86 identified following the spill and demanded genuine dialogue between the operating company and host communities.
He said Heritage Energy had assured the state government that technical operations and clean-up activities would be completed before the end of October.
The governor also expressed concern over the impact of the pollution on fishing, a major source of livelihood for residents, saying the crisis had contributed to fish scarcity and rising prices.
As part of immediate interventions, Oborevwori approved the construction of a landing jetty in Odidi and directed the Warri South-West Local Government Council chairman to construct a modern health centre in the community.
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