Community Groans Over Pollution Of Drinking Water By Oil Firm In Cross River

The people of Betem Community in the Biase Local Government area of Cross River State are lamenting over the pollution of their source of drinking water by an oil palm plantation conglomerate, Wilmar International.

Village head of Betem, Chief Obort Egbai Isong said that host communities of Wilmar which comprises four villages with an estimated pollution of 15,000 people may face serious health risk following the use of toxic chemicals by Wilmar which, according to him, have contaminated their stream and rendered it unsafe for drinking.

 

The Ibiae oil palm plantation was established in the community a few years ago by Wilmar International. Isong said they were very happy when Willmar established the plantation because they employed their youths and crime rate dropped drastically but that they had no inkling that Willmar was going to deprive them of their source of drinking water.

He said “We never had an inkling that they were going to block our water for their own irrigation and even the one that was left for us was polluted with the chemicals they were using at the plantation.”

“It has been three years now that we cannot drink from our stream because of Willmar. My people have been exposed to a lot of diseases but we just thank God that there has been no outbreak so far but we pray it doesn't happen anytime soon.”

The Village head said when Willmar came, they promised to sink four boreholes to serve four villages but that they have reneged on their promise.

“Willmar came and promised to dig four boreholes to serve the four villages but our amazement they gave us only one which parked up for more than seven months ago. As we speak, the water is still not running.

 “When the water was running from the only borehole they dug it had taste and so many people could not drink it for fear of catching any disease. Those who fetched it only used it for bathing and it is not everyone that has the financial capacity to buy sachet water which is now the fastest selling commodity in Betem.”

He further lamented that the only source of drinking water they now have is a spring which according to him is not sufficient for the entire community.

The monarch however appealed to Governor Ben Ayade to come to their aid as quickly as possible to prevent possible outbreak of an epidemic in the area.

It's been gathered that Wilmar has scheduled a meeting with the affected communities to fashion out ways of resolving the matter.

But Isong said he was not aware of the meeting, adding that all their pleas to Willmar to address the situation had fallen on deaf ears.

One of the villagers, Mrs. Gladys Obunge made it known that it's been difficult for her to queue for so long to get drinking water due to the crowd that fetches from the spring.

She said:” When you come here as early as 4: am, you will find out that the place is already filled up because people from Ehom, Ukang, Small Betem as well as Main Betem all fetch from here and you have to wait for your turn because the water runs very slow. We are appealing to the governor to come and help us because we are really suffering .Not everyone in this village has the money to buy sachet water”

When the community was visited the Ibiae Palm Plantation in Biase, one of the managers who pleaded anonymity said he could not comment on the matter but directed our correspondent to their corporate office at Calaro in Mbarakom, Akamkpa local government area, but all effort to speak with the management of Willmar proved abortive as he was denied access into the company.