PROPERTY NEWS

It is one of the few existing unpolluted water bodies in the oil-rich but restive Niger Delta region in Southern Nigeria. The clean, clear water of the Ethiope River has over the decades become the source of drinking water for inhabitants along its course.

A good number of resorts/recreational spots are located along the course of the river.

But the famous, tourist-attracting water body is now facing the prospects of losing its age-long feature due to sand dredging and oil exploration ventures.

While indigenes and observers have expressed concern over the emergence in recent months of oil drilling stations with close proximity to the river on one hand, a barrage of protests has, on the other, greeted plans by a local businessman to commence sand mining operations along the riverbank in Abraka in Delta State.

Emanating from Umuaja in Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state, the river meanders and makes a somewhat backward turn across the Abraka highway and flows several kilometers via numerous communities (including Abraka) through Sapele into the Atlantic Ocean.

However within the past months, oil exploration (with accompanying gas flaring points) " that unwelcome but not unfamiliar venture in the Nigerian Niger Delta Region " have emerged. One of such is the Ebede Oil Well and Flow Station, where crude oil is drilled. From the nearby flow station, the oil is pumped and ferried several kilometres away through flow lines (or pipelines) to where the oil is stored preparatory for processing or for export.

Apparently because the region is notorious for polluted farmlands and water bodies chiefly from leaking or burst flow lines, community dwellers are worried that similar pipelines from the new oil stations crossing or running parallel to the river in its course could leak and pollute the river.

"I do not have a particularly clear picture of where the pipeline carrying the crude oil they are pumping from here passes, but I hope and pray that the pipelines are no where close to the Ethiope River," said Chris Ejiofor, a farmer and resident of Umuaja.

"Oil pipelines are our nightmare in this region. They have caused a lot of sorrow because the crude oil damages are surroundings, and source of living," lamented Martin Okoro, another resident.

But a source close to the oil drilling firm who pleaded anonymity submitted that flow lines from the oil well were not a threat to the river as, according to him, their (the pipelines’) course was no where near the water body.

Indigenes were also left worrying over the safety of the river when, a few metres upstream from the Abraka River Resort Motel (ARRM), one of the resorts along the banks of the river, businessman Mr. Stanley Agbonifo took possession of a piece of land that used to be a burrow pit and commenced developing the property into a commercial sharp sand mining concern. He had also mobilised mechanical dredging equipment to the site.

But word soon got around and, alarmed, ARRM officials embarked on a campaign towards halting the perceived threat to the fortunes of the famous water body. Besides petitioning the Commissioner for Environment as well as Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, the opposition has gone to the court of law, where an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants (Agbonifo and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice) from carrying out the excavation of commercial sharp sand from the Ethiope River has been granted. The ARRM is the plaintiff/appellant in the case.

In the petition endorsed by Chief Charles Majoroh (ARRM) chairman) and Mr. Mike Uluhi (ARRM manager), the petitioners submitted that the proposed massive harvesting of sand from the fast flowing river would drastically and permanently raise the turbidity of the water, resulting in the loss of the water body’s clean water and beaches.

They added that apart from an unrecoverable loss of precious and ancient flora and fauna from the massive mechanical dredging activity, the speedy removal of huge volumes of earth from the river bed would reduce the river’s current and encourage the growth and emergence of water hyacinth, weeds and dangerous creatures.

Majoroh and Uhuli explained that such sand exploitation has also been known to change the course of ancient rivers with devastating effects to communities downstream.

According to them, numerous establishments depending on the quality of the water would close down in the long and medium term with serious consequences to the community’s fragile economy.

The ARRM officials disclosed that to prevent the incidence of pollution by petroleum product by speedboats, only paddleboats are allowed along the course of the river. They also want to forested bank of the river to be left in its primordial state so as to, according to them, assist in the biodegradable process and protection of wild life and fishes needed for a holistic tourism environment.

Indeed, the petitioners want the river to be classified as endangered and therefore should be protected to remain clear of turbid and industrial waste activities.

In an order of interlocutory injunction filed at the Orerekpe Judicial Division in Delta State Majoroh deposed that, if allowed to operate, the sand mining venture would adversely affect the multi-billionaire tourism related investments and the custom-built facilities and buildings along the banks of the river would go to waste.

"Thousands of persons of different nationalities flock into Abraka every week to recreate themselves, either by swimming in the river or by canoeing, picnicking or sun bathing," he declared, adding that the beach’s presence had informed the siting of the main campus of the Delta State University as well as several commercial banking in Abraka.

However, during an inspection of the sites in question, officials of the state’s Environment Ministry frowned at the proposed business venture, saying that it could adversely affect the environment if allowed to operate.

"We have not received any EIA to that effect and we never issued anyone a permit to operate this business in this location," declared Mr. Pius Iteyere, a Scientific Officer, who led the Environment Ministry team from Asaba, the state capital.

He went further, "What he plans to do is environmentally illegal. This is the cleanest river/beach front in Delta State. I am not sure if permission was issued him by the Ministry of Lands and Survey, but we never gave a permit for the business to commence operation.

"Nevertheless, we are not asking him not to do business but it should not be in this location. So, if he does an EIA and comes to us, we shall both sit down, put heads together and explore this possibility and find a more suitable location where the impact on the environment will be less harmful."

But Agbonifo denied allegations that he commenced the business without permission or without considering the environmental implications.

He added that he got approval from the Inland Waterways Authority to operate, arguing that even though he was yet to prepare an EIA on the project, experience had shown him how to operate the venture without adversely impacting the environment.

"I operate a similar business somewhere between a Port Harcourt in Rivers State and a town in Abia State and no one has complained about any pollution. It is a simple process and nothing is lost as the water taken from the river is allowed to flow back via a special channel."

Agbonifo added, "I have tried to explain this but no one wants to listen. I chose this site because it is commercially viable. I intend to contribute to the development of Abraka via this business, as no sand dredging in that magnitude currently exists. Also, I plan to sell the sand per lorry load at a price considerably lesser than what currently exists.’’

"The land was an excavation site for red sand and the landowners invited me to do the same excavation business on a joint venture, profit-sharing basis. I have been promised some level of compensation by ARRM officials and I expect this to materialize."

Besides, the ARRM, some other resorts located along the riverbank include those belonging to Chevron, Benderos, Panalpina, Universal Catering, Julius Berger, Turf Club, as well as the Kendive Diving School.