No Agreement with SPDC on OML 25, Say Host Communities – TheNigerialawyer

The controversy surrounding the re-opening of facilities of OML
25 in Rivers State continues to rage as the host communities
saturday denied agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to return
to site.

The communities, Belema, Offoin-Ama and Ingeje in Akuku-Toru
Local Government Area of Rivers State, also accused officials of
the State Government of having been compromised by SPDC into
hurriedly wanting to re-open the facility.

In a statement by the Amanyanabo of Opukula, King Bourdillon
Ekine and nine others, the communities described as false and
misleading statement by the Rivers State Government that the host
communities of OML 25 had agreed to sign an MoU with SPDC on July 1
with a view to re-open the flow station.

“It is most unfortunate that a state government that is supposed
to concern itself with good governance would be this desperate to
champion an illegal course to forcefully re-open an oil platform
that was peacefully shutdown based on the legitimate grievances of
the Host Communities,” the communities said.

They said by its action, the Rivers State Government was giving
the impression that it supports injustice, marginalisation,
enslavement and impoverishment of the host communities by the oil
multinational company.

They also raised eyebrows on the decision of the state to
intervene in the protracted dispute between the communities and
Shell which is already been handled by the Presidency and NNPC.

“It is worrisome that Shell and the Rivers State Government who
both sent representatives to our meeting with the NNPC in Abuja on
the 22nd of August 2017 to resolve the dispute, decided to meet
with the wrong people at the Government House in Port-Harcourt to
resolve a matter that is already being handled by the federal
government.”

They described those who purportedly agreed to sign a MoU with
SPDC as strangers, political allies of the governor as well as some
renegades from Kula.

On the involvement of the state on the matter, they said, “As a
lawyer His Excellency ought to know that State cannot adjudicate on
such matter as it is on the Exclusive list of the Nigerian
Constitution and not a state affair.

“Let it be also known that the Oko Royal House of Kula is the
bona fide owner of Belema Community that gave the acreage to Shell
to build the oil facility.

“In the light of the foregoing, we therefore disassociate
ourselves from the outcome of the said meeting where the Host
Communities purportedly agreed to sign an MOU on 1st of July 2019
with SPDC to re-open the oil facility.”

They called on the Federal Government, Amnesty International and
the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold the Rivers State
Government and SPDC responsible should any harm come on the women
and children who are “peacefully occupying the oil facility over
legitimate grievances against Shell”.

“We insist that we do not want SPDC any more in our land. We
will continue to occupy the oil facility peacefully until our
demands are met. Let the Rivers State Government and Shell come
with their brute force, we are ready to die for this course.

“We remain resolute in our demands for the divestment of OML 25
by SPDC taking into cognizance the right-of-first-refusal of the
Host Communities,” they stated.

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