MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARD IN THE OIL PRODUCING AREAS OF BAYELSA STATE

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being of individual and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity (WHO, 1964). UNESCO (2015) holds that an individual is affected by almost everything in the environment. Equally, health is the perfect state of the individual in his physical, mental, social and emotionally well being. Health is seen as an environmentally influenced state of well being, hence it becomes necessary to look at the health of people as directly influenced by their immediate environment.

Environmental health is a branch of public health that is concerned with all aspect of the natural and physical environment which may affect human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined it as those aspects of the human body, (human health) and disease that are determined by factors in the environment (Ugoh, 2008). The focus of environmental health has been the direct pathological agents and the effects in health and well being of the broad physical, psychological, social and aesthetic environment which include housing, urban development, land use and transportation. The scope of environmental health include hazardous materials, pollution, disaster, prehardness, food safety, waste management and occupational health. One aspect of interest to researchers is the environmental health as the impact of oil spills on the health of members in host communities where multinationals carry out huge oil drilling or exportation activities. An area with largest concentration of such facilities in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. Patrick, (2004) states that the Niger Delta covers 70, 000 km2 within wet lands. It is home to 20 million people and 40 different ethnic groups with diverse mangrove swamp forests, fresh water swamps, and low land rain forests. Onuoha, (2008) however put it that the ecosystems as well as the individuals are at the receiving end of pollutants from oil spills and gas flares.

Niger Delta has witnessed the poisoning of the waters of this country and destruction of vegetation and agricultural land by oil spills which occur during petroleum exploration. But since the discovery of the oil industry in Nigeria, more than thirty years ago, there has been no concerned and effective effort on the part of the government, let alone the oil operators to control environmental health hazards associated with the industry. Sola (2002) expressed that in Lagos State today as well the riverine cities in Nigeria such as Bayelsa, the worst type of pollution is oil. In other words, he warned that potential pollution from the oil companies to land and water poses very serious problem to the oil producing areas. Estimate shows that 89 million barrels of petroleum were spilled into Niger Delta region between 1976 and 1996 (Onuoha, 2007). The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) puts the quantity of petroleum injected into the environment yearly at 2, 300 cubic meters of oil spills annually. These estimates raise grave concerns for the environmental health of host communities.

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Brass Local Government Area is one of the eight local government in Bayelsa State which is a major force in the production of oil. Bayelsa State with an estimated population of about two million people ranks amongst the top of oil and gas producing areas of the country contributing over 30% Nigerian’s total oil production. Oil wells are scattered across the State. Jonathan (2003) recalled that since 1956 when oil was first struck in commercial quantities in Oloibiri, oil exploration has been in the increase in Bayelsa State. Brass Local Government Area which is the area of a case study is host to Agip Oil facilities located in Town Brass an Ijaw community which also serves as head quarters of  the Brass Local Government of the State. Oil exploration grants such as Shell, Chevron, Texaco all have flow stations in other local government has had its fair share of oil spills in the recent past hence the study will investigate the management and control of health hazards resulting from oil spillage in the area.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Oil spillage has been the bone of contention between communities and multinational companies dating back to when oil was first struck at Oloibiri in Bayelsa State. A report by (NOSDRA) as at 2010 puts oil spills in the Niger Delta at 3, 203. between the period January 2006 and June 2010, the growth of the country’s oil industry has led to substantial environmental health hazards in oil producing areas in Bayelsa State. Statistics paint a grain picture of oil spillage which occur almost on a monthly basis. The World Bank on its reports argued that the true quantity of petroleum spilled into the environment is underestimated (Onuoha, 2007). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), environmental hazards are responsible for about a quarter of the total burden of diseases world wide and nearly 359 in regions such as Sub-Sahara Africa. The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 13 million deaths can be prevented by making the environment healthier (Onuoha, 2007).

Health hazards emanating from oil spills is directly linked to the level of public outery and disaffection among the inhabitants of oil producing areas. Despite growing concern from the government there still appear from accounts of research work done, inadequate data and information as well as appropriate policies to manage the challenges (Onokeroraye, 2001) some findings released showed that the two key areas where intervention fall short are poverty alleviation and possibility of enhancement of diseases burden which is the centre of agitations of people who live around oil exploration area in Niger Delta. Much of the health implications of oil spillage have remained a matter of conjecture. Health hazards are not well documented and there appears to be inadequate health management apparatus to combat the over increasing burden in the coastal regions on oil exploration activities. Recent oil spills in Brass Local Government where the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NADC) operates has several oil facilities which was reported in the month of May, 2009 has raised further concerns making it an idea study area for the study.

According to Onuoha, (2007) despite increasing concerns from the damages caused to the health of individuals and the various efforts at the control of the maintenance of oil spills, little has been done to migrate the health hazards emanating from oil spills.