Senate orders Chevron to compensate communities over inferno

The Senate on Wednesday asked Chevron Nigeria Limited to begin paying compensation to communities affected by the gas explosion at the KS Endeavour rig in Fulwa field in Bayelsa State.
A joint Committee of the Senate on Petroleum Upstream and Environment met with the management of Chevron and urged besides sending relief materials to affected areas, plans should be put in place to immediately make available alternative sources of livelihood for the communities.
Also, the National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills in the Niger Delta has called on the Federal Government to come to the rescue of communities affected by the Chevron oil rig fire in South Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The group, comprising human rights activists and environmentalists, also urged Chevron and relevant Federal Government agencies to assess the situation without delay and find a way of reducing its impact on the affected communities.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, NACGOND Coordinator, Mr. Inemo Samiama, expressed worry that nine days after the fire, neither Chevron nor government officials had visited any of the surrounding communities to give them assurances and allay the fears of the people.
Chairman of the joint committee, Senator Paulker Emmanuel, said it had been established that the water had been polluted, killing fishes which are the main stay of the communities around there.
Source