The people of Bassi-Ama (pipeline 1) community in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have given Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO) owned by billionaire Benedict Peters, a seven (7) days ultimatum to compensate them for the oil spillage which occurred on their pipeline on the 5th of November, 2021, or face court action which according to them has been perfected with their legal team.
In a letter signed by the Amadabo of the community, HRH (Dr) Theophilus Nicholas Bassey and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, the Highness stated that the people of his community depend on fishing as their means of livelihood and have been starved and denied of their rights as a result of the spillage which destroys aquatic lives.
Adding that pupils and teachers in the only primary school in the community (state primary school, pipeline 1) have been displaced and academic works disrupted due to lack of drinking water and lack of food stressing that almost everybody in the community has either relocated to either Yenagoa or neighbouring communities.
His Highness Theophilus Nicholas directed Aiteo to do the needful by sending relief materials to the community to ameliorate their sufferings and to come to the round table for negotiation on how to compensate the people as economic activities in the area have been grounded thereby causing untold hardship on the people as farmlands have been ravaged by the spillage.
According to the Amadabo, if Aiteo fails to respond within seven days, the community will have no option rather than to go to court and seek redress. He said the Federal, State and Local governments are aware of the plight of the community as attested to by the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri who said the spillage is the worst that he has witnessed so far in recent times.