The offshore waters of Nigeria's Niger Delta coast have never been more turbulent than they have been in recent months. Incidents of piracy and violent attacks have combined to rate the zone virtually in the same league as the pirates-infested waters off the coast of Somalia. Beside these, the notoriety of this bit of the Bight of Biafra has been raised by the multiple accidents related to the oil and gas industry. We go back to 20 December 2011. A massive oil spill occurred at Shell's Bonga FSPO a few days before Christmas. But for the vigilance of fishermen in the area the spill may have gone unreported and the ultimate impacts on the coastal shores would have been classed as being of mysterious origins. Satellite images helped watchers to gauge the size of the spill which Shell had pegged at 40,000 barrels. While fisher folks and other local peoples insisted that the Bonga spill indeed hit Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states' coastal communities, Shell and government's sectoral watchdog agencies either contradicted the people or kept mum. Except for the NIMASA, the only agency that affirmed that the spill impacted a wide swath of coastal areas.Shell's Bonga FSPO sits about one hundred kilometres offshore. The company blamed the crude that reached coastal areas on other unnamed and perhaps unknown sources. They offered to clean the crude, nevertheless. Has this act of 'charity' been effected by Shell' Simmering tensions in the area over the impacts of the spill do not suggest that this is the case.Indeed, although Shell offered updates on their handling of the spill, there has been no information as to what chemical dispersants they deployed on the impacted waters. There has also not been any publicly available post incident report by which information would be seen on the actual cause of the spill, the actual volume involved and the extent of the harm done, including impacts on the aquatic life in the area. There is also no indication as to what compensatiotogas been, or will be, paid to the fisherfolks whose livelihoods have been directly affected by this massive event.Almost a month after the Shell spill, an explosion occurred on gas well drilling rig at Chevron's Apoi North field on 16 January 2012. That explosion killed two workers. Chevron, like Shell, offered initial information and updates on the incident, assuring that steps were being taken to contain and mitigate the disaster. Like Shell also this clearly was an half-hearted public relations gesture and tapered out even while the inferno raged.Located a mere ten kilometres off the Bayelsa coast, and in fairly shallow waters, the glow and roars of hell competed with the numerous gas flares onshore. The impacts on the Koluama 1 and 2 communities, Ikebiri 1, 2 and 3 communities among others, cannot be dismissed or denied. The evidence floated and still floats on the waters. Dead fish including dolphins, and at least a whale, indicate that what has occurred was not a minor incident but a catastrophe. to be contiued....Bassey is an Environment Rights Activist
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