Women protesting against oil giant ChevronTexaco’s Nigerian operation claimed on Monday that a fire at the firm’s main oil terminal had polluted nearby rivers.
A huge fire broke out on Saturday at the Escravos oil terminal in the western Niger Delta, but Chevron claimed that it had been brought under control and that local communities were unaffected.
But in the villages of the Gbamaratu community an AFP reporter could see large amounts of stong-smelling crude oil in a river flowing from the direction of the huge plant.
The Gbaramatu women have been protesting for more than a week, blockading four pumping stations supplying around 100 000 barrels of crude per day to the terminal.
They want Chevron to build schools and hospitals in their villages, employ more of their people and pay cash compensation for the pollution they claim has destroyed their fishing.
”The discovery of oil in our communities has brought misery and sorrow. Our rivers are polluted and fishes dead because of the poisons being spilled into the environment,” lamented 42-year-old Mary Olaye, a protest leader.
Chevron settled a similar protest last week, in which women occupied the Escravos terminal itself, by offering to give the neighbouring Ugborodo community a school, electricity and water.
But the Gbaramatu women claim no senior Chevron staff have been to see them since Tuesday last week, despite promises to settle the dispute through negotiation.
Saturday’s fire caused further problems for Chevron, forcing them to shut down production of 300 000 barrels per day on its offshore rigs as well as those onshore affected by the protests. – Sapa-AFP