Rivers community sign agreement with NAOC to end flooding

The Aggah Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Council Area of Rivers State has signed an agreement with ENI, parent company of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to end perennial flooding in the area.

Aggah, a host community to NAOC has been facing severe flooding for decades, especially the 2012 and 2017 flooding, a situation that resulted in the displacement of commuters, destruction of property and farmlands worth several millions of Naira.

Worried by the development, Egbema Voice of Freedom (EVF) with support from Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA) and Chima Williams & Associates (CWA) had petitioned ENI over marginalisation, neglect and environmental issues in the host communities.

The groups said that in their petition, they stressed the devastating impacts the flooding has had on the health, property, livelihoods and environment of the Aggah Community.

Represented by Evaristus Nicholas and others, they noted that the agreement was an achievement that followed years of battle to get ENI and its subsidiary, NAOC, to resolve the flooding their activities created in the area.

They disclosed that following their complaints the Italian oil firm has agreed to urgently construct drainages in the community to mitigate the flooding and potential resort to technical expert if more efforts are needed.

“After 40 years of battle, residents of Aggah Community in Rivers State, finally have hope of getting relief from the floods that have plagued them for over five decades.

“In a case before an OECD National Contact Point (NCP), the agreement, which we entered with the company addresses the essential concern of the complainants, that is the urgent construction of drainage solutions to mitigate the flooding and a potential resort to a technical expert if more efforts are needed.

“The agreement is an achievement that follows years of battle to get ENI and its subsidiary, NAOC to resolve the flooding they created. We remain, however, that we have to be vigilant on how the company and its Nigerian subsidiary will implement the agreement,” they said.