Delta leaders ask govt to reverse sale of Shell’s assets

[TGD]

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TRADITIONAL rulers and community leaders who are hosts of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC's) OML 30 field in Delta State yesterday asked the Federal Government to intervene and reverse the sale of OML 30 in order to avert a possible breakdown of law and order in the community.

At a meeting of the stakeholders at the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli, HRM Oharisi III, the monarchs and leaders said the SPDC lacked the right to sell lands leased to them by communities to another operator without their consent.

They said several communities leased their lands to SPDC for an initial term of 20 years and that the terms had expired twice over and that the SPDC was now trespassing on the land without the renewal of all expired leases.

In a statement after the meeting by Oharisi III and HRM Ovwrawha Omogho, the Odion Ologbo of Oleh, the communities asked the Federal Government to suspend the ongoing sale of  OML  30 until the interests of the host communities had been addressed, saying, "whoever or whatever authority responsible for approving the inchoate sale of OML 30 by SPDC to some unnamed investors should immediately withhold  that approval in the interest of peace and justice pending the resolution of outstanding issues."

Alleging that SPDC shrouded the bidding process for the assets in the communities in secrecy, they demanded  the immediate cancellation of all commitments already made on the proposed sale and called for a fresh and open bidding process,  saying there should be no urgency in the transfer of SPDC equity interest.

The stakeholders also urged the Bishop Matthew Kuka Committee/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report which  indicted SPDC for breaching national and international environmental laws and regulations to extend its mandate to OML 30 and other oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta to determine the level of environmental degradation and despoliation by SPDC of community lands before any further steps are taken in the proposed sale.

OML host communities suggested that a   joint committee of SPDC and OML 30 communities should work out appropriate compensation for the environmental pollution and degradation of community lands based on the principle of the UNEP/ Kuka report on Ogoniland.

The communities warned that they may no longer guarantee the peace in oil and gas operations in OML 30 host communities unless their stated grievances were urgently and satisfactorily addressed.

Besides, the Ogoni Solidarity Forum (OSF) has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to commence the implementation of the UNEP  report without  delay.

OSF National Coordinator, Celestine Akpobari, said in view of the extensive ruination of the Ogoni environment, the government should declare the entire Ogoni a national disaster territory and mobilize resources in conjunction with the polluter to immediately clean up the area, in a manner  reminiscent of the situation of the Gulf of Mexico.

Meanwhile, to ensure total and acceptable implementation of the UNEP report the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) yesterday called on the Federal Government to involve the oil-producing communities.



The Guardian