By Emmanuel Ekebe
Since the 27th of June, 2026, when Uzere well 14 erupted, much has been said and written about the catastrophe but nothing meaningful has been done to abate the ceaseless flow spewing crude, gas, sludge and other impurities like an enraged volcano.
Presently, the Uzere environment is gravely bastardized just as the people are vehemently traumatized, disoriented and utterly bemused in a helpless state of despondecy.
While the brutal assault of the outrageous spill continues, the operators of the OML30 field, Heritage Energy Operational Services are feebly using a fleet of hired trucks to evacuate the gorging crude and other associated properties; the containment is slow, ineffective and the collosal damage to the environment and the entire Uzere community is escalating every minute.
Along the line, several personalities like the Managing Director of Heritage, Delta state Commissioner for Oil and Gas, OML30 Area B Trust Chairman, Isoko Youth body amongst others have visited the the scene for on-the-spot assessment .
In all, it has been either “appeal to stay calm” or “everything possible is being done to curtail the situation”.
As it is, while the ding-dong merry go round goes on, the needful is not being done and Uzere, the second place where oil was discovered in Nigeria is inching towards extinction by the minute.
Ironically, while the brutal holocaust is unfolding and dehumanizing the people of Uzere, the other 55 or so oil wells in the two Uzere fields are running 24/7.
Now, the salient sore points that demand critical redress in this monumental disaster include:
a. Why has the foreign experts promised by Heritage Energy taking so long to mobilize to site while the Heritage MD has since returned to his cossy office at Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos.
b. Why is the JIV on the blow out yet to be concluded a month after the spillage started?
c. Why had the Delta State Governor failed to personally visit the site given the magnitude and time line of the tragedy?
d. Why has the company not put in concerted effort to do large scale booming of the peripheral and the adjoining swamps and farm lands considering the raining season against the adverse effects on the ecology and occupational interest of the people?
e. What has prevented the legislators representing the area including Ferguson Onwho, Jonathan Ukodhiko and Senator Joel Onowakpo not find time to visit the site and move motions of urgent public importance in their respective Chambers to bring the Uzere calamity into the desired national focus?
f. What stops the Presidency or at the least, the minister of petroleum from responding to this heart rendering circumstances?
g. Why is Heritage Energy not doing anything about immediate palliatives for the Uzere people as part of first line reach out to show empathy and interim succour and why is the company blocking Media access to the site if they don’t have anything to hide?
Actually, there are so many unanswered questions but the reality is that the situation is very challenging just as the slow response from both the company and regulating agencies is abysmal.
Conversely, if the Uzere Youth had disrupted oil and gas production for a few minutes, the deployment of troupes to dislodge would have been swift with alacrity.
Nevertheless, even if a man is to die next week, he should not jump into the grave today; so, before Uzere is consigned to history like Oloibiri, its only forerunner, the following should be done as first step intervention:
i. Heritage Energy must do a comprehensive dike and boom to curtail further spread of the massive spill. They MUST also do everything possible to stop the spill immediately.
ii. All efforts should be made to conclude the JIV within one week without further delay and a formal report issued.
iii. Heritage Energy should move in various palliatives to the immediate affected Uheri quarters in particular and the entire Uzere community in general.
iv. Take immediate census of direct and impacted families and households including farms/ farmlands, fish ponds, lakes, creecks, etc.for accurate records.
v. Commence immediate free medical outreach for the Uzere people to assuage the imposed health challenges.
vi. Provide alternative income sources or survival grants for the affected populace.
Midterm Action Plans to be moderated by both the relevant state and federal government agencies should include:
i. Commence comprehensive and thorough clean up of the impacted areas.
ii. Do adequate seismic integrity check on all Heritage Energy facilities in Uzere land to avoid this type of incident.
iii. Do a transparent assessment of the extents and scale of damage towards the payment of commensurate compensation as applicable under the OTC rates.
iv. The company to come up with a clear and distinct road map on the remediation not only of the impacted areas but across the entire community as the trucks evacuating the crude from the site are also gradually and systematically dropping some while drive in and out of the community.
v. Heritage Energy should quickly set up a top management team that should interface regularly with Uzere accredited leadership on the implementation of the road map towards recovery and reintegration of both the environment and the Uzere people.
vi. Heritage Energy should pay to Uzere community a paltry sum of not less than N5 billion as general and aggravated damages.
Then on the long term template; efforts should be made by the company to build capacity and confidence by embarking in the under listed issues of concern:
i. Engage at least 100 Uzere Youths into the company in different categories.
ii. Train and equip another 100 Uzere Youths in different skills.
iii. Provide microcredit to 300 women for enhanced livelihood.
iv. Provide fishing gears, improved seedlings and farming imputs.
v. Increase patronage of indigenous registered contractors.
vi.Take over the running of the Uzere IPP.
vii. Provide educational grants to at least 100 Uzere undergraduates with emphasis on selected disciplines.
viii. Heritage Energy should now have a Logistics Base in Uzere for effective and seamless operations.
v. Provide a Health insurance scheme domiciled in the Uzere cottage hospital to the tune of N30 million annually for the next five years.
vi. Heritage Energy should come up with a corporate social responsibility plan for the Uzere cluster outside the PIA portfolio.
Finally, while hoping that the situation at hand will be brought under control soonest, I wish to caution that the company should avoid a divide and rule approach as bottled anger can also blow out like well 14.
Such avoidable backlash can as well compound the already ugly situation.
May God save and bless Uzere to enjoy the benefits of her land.
