We suffer here. We need help from our federal government. We are crying out and writing letters. Much of the income has been lost through corruption and mismanagement. The villagers complain that the heat and the noise from the flare have scared away wild game and chased fish from the streams.
Villagers say the soil is also affected, yielding smaller crops of cassava and potatoes each year.
Ironically, the flares burn off energy into the atmosphere within sight of villages that have no power - patches of darkness in a country suffering severe energy shortages nationwide. After oil was discovered beneath Akaraolu, villagers danced in celebration when Agip built its flow station in 1972. They rejoiced when the company built a road near the village, a benefit which greatly improved transportation and trade between Akaraolu and neighboring villages. The terminal began exporting natural gas to Europe in October 1999. Production was increased this past March, and the companies estimate that by 2003 the plant will process 870 million cubic feet of gas per day.