Forcados terminal may be shut down as Mobil fails to pay N1.43bn compensation on oil spill

Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently order Mobil to comply with a Federal High Court judgment to pay N1.430 billion to Odimido federated communities and Forcados for a major oil spill in 1998.

They vowed to shut down Forcados oil terminal if the demand is not met.
This threat was made by the national president of IYC, Mr. Eric Omare, when he spoke to newsmen on Thursday in Warri, Delta State.

Omare lamented that the spill triggered off major health issues in those communities leading to several loss of lives and sundry health challenges.

He cautioned against government ignoring their demand because if they are forced to shut down the oil terminal that it could lead to another round of economic recession in the country.

Noting that the affected communities were no longer interested in suffering further long drawn court process, Omare called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the oil company to pay the compensation so that peace can reign in the region.

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He said, “For 17 years, the communities went through court processes and for 20 years, they have suffered the effects of pollution. Their major sources of drinking water were polluted. The Federal Government should order immediate compliance with the court judgment failure of which we will be forced to shut down Forcadus Terminal.”

Justice Shitu Abubakar of a Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, had while delivering ruling in a suit, FHC/WR/CS/33/20 last week, ordered Mobil to pay the sum of N1.430 billion as compensation to communities devastated by the oil spill.

 

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