Date Published: 03/17/10

13 Communities in fresh protest agains Shell

SOME 3,000 protesters drawn from 13 oil-bearing communities in Bayelsa State on Tuesday, took to the streets in a renewed battle against the Anglo-Dutch oil and gas major, Shell, over an abandoned road project by the oil company.

The aggrieved community persons have given the oil company 28 days to play ball or forget about their oil at the expiration of their ultimatum. The ultimatum will expire on April 13.

AkanimoReports says the protest which began at Nembe at about 10am ended at Yenagoa, the state capital, with a visit to television stations to underscore the seriousness  of their threat to ground Shell activities in their areas.

Spokesperson for the protesting communities, Mr. Nengi James, said they have resolved to ensure that there will be no further development of oil and gas facilities in their areas at the expiration of their ultimatum unless Shell resumes construction work on the allegedly abandoned 42km Otuegila-Nembe road which the company promised them five years ago.

Our correspondent who was on ground to cover the protest reports that the 13 oil-bearing communities cut across Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, Ogbia and Nembe Local Government Areas in Bayelsa.

Before now, Chairman of the Otuegila-Nembe Road Project Forum, Mr. Damfebo K. Derri, a community chief, had said, “we demand, peacefully but with resolute determination, that there should be no further development of oil and gas facilities on our territory unless and until the construction of the road actually begins. Our communities are tired of Shell’s failed promises and corporate irresponsibility”.

The  protesters say they will cripple all the exploration, production and transmission facilities in their communities, including the Natural Gas Plant, the EGGS I & II, the Gas Transmission System (GTS) to the NLNG Bonny plant and the Non-Associated Gas Wells Drilling Project.

One of the female protesters who gave her name simply as Timi, said, ''our people and communities are determined not to be taken for a ride by this multinational predator, known as Shell Petroleum Development Company”.

An Ijaw youth who said his name is Preye, had this to say: ''Our kings, chiefs, elders, women, youths, professionals and elected representatives of Otuegila, Amorokeni, Amoroto, Emago, Akani, Oluasiri-Nembe, Idema, Okoroba, Agrisaba, Biokponga and Nembe Bassambiri communities in Ogbia and Nembe local government areas  and Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers state are all in unison with our resolve''.

Mr. James, the official spokesperson of the protesters is claiming that the 13 oil-bearing communities contributer not less than 15 per cent of Nigeria's total crude production.

Shell officials in Bayelsa say oil facilities in the areas include, Kugbo-Oloibiri first crude oil pipeline, Associated Gas Gathering System (AGG), the Nembe-Bassambiri ( Santa Barbara ) flow station and oil fields, Odema Creek flow station and oil fields, Tora Manifold, Oluasiri “Soku” Gas Plant and oilfield with the Eastern Gas Gathering Systems (EGGS) I & II.

Company officials who did not want their names  in print say Shell actually commissioned the engineering designs for the road, which were accordingly  completed. According to them, the  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the said abandoned road project was dully conducted by the company.

In a seeming frantic bid to facilitate the construction of the road, former Bayelsa Governor, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in a revocation of rights of occupancy notice dated September 20, 2003, as contained in Government Notice No. 13 in the Official Gazette No. 6, Vol. 8 of October 20, 2003, revoked the protesting communities’ rights of occupancy in respect of all the land along the route of the abandoned road measuring some 178.45 hectares.

However, Shell had claimed the Imiringi-Nembe Road project will cost $100 million .  ''This is our largest community road project which, when completed, will connect 12 major communities to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital. On the first phase, from Imiringi to Oloibiri, about 20 kilometers of road and eight kilometers of asphalt carriageway base preparation has been completed.  The 60 metre concrete bridge at Otabagi has also reached 90 percent completion.  Road design for the second phase, from Otuegila to Nembe, has been completed and a contract will be awarded in 2002'', Shell had said.