King Theophilus Princewill, the Amayanabo (traditional ruler) of Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers, has told the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to start packing if it plans to derail on their agreed Global memorandum of Understanding.
Princewill made the remark to newsmen on Sunday in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area at a ceremony to mark his 11th anniversary as the Amachree XI of Kalabari Kingdom.
He claimed that Shell had been threatening to shut its trunkline in the area due to crude oil theft as well as review downwards the second phase of the agreement.
Princewill said that for the past six years, Shell had given them some money which they used to provide developmental projects in the area.
“Now that they are coming to the second phase of that agreement, they call it Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), instead of increasing the lots, they call it mandate, that is due to us ,the Kalabari People, they want to reduce it by more than half.
“Whereas in the last five years that they were operating, there was a promise to have 10 per cent increase annually.
“Instead of finding it necessary to review it upwards, now that they are going to enter into a new agreement, they want to slash it down by more than a half; of course, the Kalabaris will not agree,“ the King said.
Princewill said that although Shell claimed that the crude oil theft had affected their production in the Kalabari area, the people did not believe the claim.
“We did not believe that that has happened; but if we go by that, there are other areas that there is no production whatsoever, but they have increased (royalties).
“There are areas where they have production they have increased, it is only in areas where they are having the fattest cow, they now want to decrease.
“So, if they want to insist on reducing what mandate they gave us, we will say no, we will not accept it; you either increase it or you don’t operate in our area,“ he stated.
Princewill said that his Council of Chiefs had made it clear to Shell in many meetings that whatever that was within the Kalabari area belonged to the people.
“They (Shell) were only allowed to exploit the crude; if what they are doing is to make us suffer for it, we ask them to pack up their things and go because we will not beg them to come and do it.
“If they don’t do it, there are other companies that will come in to do it; for many years now in Ogoni area, Shell is not operating, yet, Nigeria has not died.
“If we stop Shell from operating in our territory, Nigeria will not die and that is our position. So, they say they are going to close down their operation, we say not only closing down, pack your things and go,“ he said.
Princewill, however, said that the control of oil and other resources was the business of the government and could only talk to their children against involvement in the oil theft.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu, recently said about 60,000 out of 150, 000 barrels per day of crude oil, supplied to Nembe-Creek Trunkline (NCTL), were being stolen daily.
Sunmonu said the company might be compelled to shut down the NCTL due to the theft, occurring, particulary, in Kakrama in Kalabari Kingdom and Awoba in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
Also recently, the SPDC’s spokesman, Mr Precious Okolobo, said that the company might look into ways of slashing the funds to the communities within the NCTL, if the theft continued.