Gas spillage has again occurred in Permanent Site (Campus II), of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, bringing to three the number of such incident in the College within four years.
The spillage which was suspected to have started on Friday, September 3, but was noticed by passersby in the early hours of Saturday 4th September, 2021 is said to have emanated from a high pressure Gas Pipeline 95 bar allegedly belonging to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) due to gas pipe corrosion which is laid through the heart of the institution permanent site situated along Obrikom road, Omoku to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company OB/OB Gas recycling plant.
Though no life was lost, but the ugly incident apart from posing health and environmental hazards has destroyed many College properties including farms, fish ponds, students’ demonstration farms as well as degradation of College environment therefore may cause the College shut down as staff and students have deserted the campus for fear of explosion.
The Permanent Site (Campus II) of the College houses the institution’s Directorate of Degree programme in affiliation with University of Nigeria Nsukka and University of Uyo, students hostels, many schools of study, laboratories, College water factory, Directorates, departments, units, staff offices, Games village as well as fish ponds etc. with thousands of staff, students and traders residing within the area.
Some students who spoke at the scene of the incident on condition of anonymity threatened to stage peaceful demonstration if the companies that laid pipeline across the College did not fine lasting solutions to the reoccurring oil and gas spillage in the College as according to them, the school was not safe for their learning as a result of such ugly incidents.
Speaking at the scene of the incident, the Provost of the College, Dr. Emmanuel Ikenyiri, KSC, who was accompanied by some members of the College Management appealed to the affected company to come and stop the gas spillage which is still on and therefore governments at all levels, multinational companies, corporate bodies as well as philanthropic organizations and individuals to come to the aid of the College which is the only Federal tertiary institution in Orashi Region of Rivers State outside Port Harcourt, the state capital as frequent oil or gas spillage in an academic institution is a risk on human lives, lamenting that apart from the destruction of College valuables and other aquatic lives, staff, students and visitors to the school could not breath well because the gas spillage has saturated the area.
He thanked God Almighty that no life was lost may be because the incident occurred on a weekend and also commended angry staff, students and farmers who he met at the site for their peaceful approach and told them to remain calm as College Management had concluded plans to contact the affected company.
As at the time of filing this report on Tuesday 7th September 2021 at 12 noon, the spillage was still on despite various distress calls to the management of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited OB/OB on the matter.
