We’ve Suffered Enough, Host Communities Tell Shell, List Demands For Re-entry To OML 25
5 min read
Edith CHUKU
Aggrieved by the neglect, impoverishment and non-implementation of development projects in their areas, host communities of the Oil Mining Lease OML 25, has issued eight conditions to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria SPDC, for re-entry.
The Royal highnesses, chiefs, stakeholders, youth and opinion leaders of Kula, Belema, Offoni-Ama and other sitelite communities in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, issued their demands at a meeting with SPDC, held on Friday, at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt.
Stating their requests for the re-entry of Shell to OML 25, the communities insisted that SPDC must offer scholarships to their children and provide employment to their unemployed, both the graduates and the skilled natives.
They also demanded for the development of their communities, asking Shell to carry out training programmes, provide facilities such as hospitals, motorable roads, electricity, water and other basic infrastructures.
Further, they urged the oil company to sign an operation and maintenance contract with Belema Oil which feeds crude and gas into Shell’s Bonny export terminal, and that a point of order be issued to that effect.
Other demands in the eight point of order, was for Shell to lift crude oil after production and pass it through Belema facility for onward transmission to Bonny to enable the company earn money to support the development of the communities.
The stakeholders insisted, that Shell can only commence operation in the area following the fulfilment of their requests.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting, an elder statesman in the state, His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe, who read out the communique explained that, “today’s meeting is between Shell, the regulatory authorities, the youths, the state government and the communities; Kula, Belema, Offoni-Ama, Kazie Communities and their sitelite communities.
“The meeting is about re-entry of Shell to OML-25. We have deliberated extensively, we have made our points clear but we want Nigerians to know that we are not the cause of the delay in reopening that facility.
“We are ready for Shell to move into operation immediately provided they carry out all the agreed terms. We have discussed about the welfare of the people, alot of our children; graduates, skilled people are unemployed and we are saying this has nothing to do with PIA, our people must be employed if Shell is coming to work in our area.
“Two, community development which was the major thrust why the place was shut down. We emphasized that they should follow up with the eight point agreement with Belema Oil, including community development which includes human resources; both training and employment, infrastructure.”
Sara-Igbe lamented that the communities have suffered enough, stressing that, “Kula was producing over 200 thousand barrel of crude oil per day for more than 60 years and we insisted that all the agencies should come and see Belema, Kula, Ngeje, Offoni-Ama and all the sitelite communities around that area to see the level of production and level of development in those areas.
“As a community, as a kingdom, we are producing that and there’s nothing to show for it. Today’s meeting also addressed the government; both federal, state and local government, despite the huge resources we have nothing to show for it; no road to Kula, no hospitals, no facilities, no light, no water and we have given Shell 2019 to go and operate and fulfill these things, Shell has refused to fulfil these agreements and that is why we here.
“The state government has met with Shell with Belema, the communities said Shell should sign an agreement with Belema to implement most of those things I highlighted, Shell has been dribbling us but today they have assured us that within a short time they will sign that PO.
“As soon as they sign that PO and security architecture, they are free to go and operate. We are not happy that 45 thousand barrel of crude oil is being tied down for seven years, 45 thousand per day for seven years, it’s a huge resources. The federal government is losing, the state is losing, the local government is losing and even the Shell, NNPC and the community are all losing.”
The ex-PANDEF secretary added that, “we want them to come and operate, provided they will sign that PO, if they don’t sign that PO they should not come in, they have deceived us for over 50 years. Over 60 years Shell cannot point to what they have done for the entire kingdom, nothing, no remediation.
“We also agreed that there should be operation and maintenance contract between Belema Oil and Shell. We want them to sign that agreement, issue a PO to that effect.
“We also agreed that there is no pipeline there now to lift these crude oil and so when they produce they should pass these crude oil to Belema facility for onward transmission to Bonny so that they can earn money and development our place.
“SPDC, we have agreed that they must fulfil all these conditions before they will go ahead. We have also asked the regulatory authority to make it a point of duty to come and see these communities that is producing this number of oil, how developed they are so that they will not be deceived by Shell.
“For us as a community, we are peace loving, and we can be able to protect our facility. We are willing to support them, we are willing to protect the facilities provided Shell will do the needful, it is unacceptable, we will not accept it, but we are ready to make peace with them and they have promised to develop us.
“We pray that Shell will do the needful so that we can produce for Nigeria, we can produce for Rivers State, we can produce for local government, for the communities and even they that are producing should also make profit.”
