The people of Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom in Bonny Local Government area
\nof Rivers state have given Multinational oil giant SPDC and Prime
\nExploration and Production Limited operating within the Bonny axis a 21
\nday ultimatum to address issue of community marginalization and commence a
\nprocess of fence mending with the Bonny community or face demand for shut
\ndown of all activities of both companies including legal ventilation.<\/p>\n
The demand expectedly is to compel the companies to identify with their
\ncritical stakeholders and host community including setting the records
\nstraight over boundary issues with the custodians and people of Bonny
\ncommunity over what has been brandished accidental or intentional
\nmarginalization, neglect, distortions in payment of accrued royalties and
\nbenefits and of course put an end to attempts by the companies to fan
\nembers of discord between Bonny and Andoni communities.<\/p>\n
The Bonny community is demanding that both companies as a matter of urgent
\nimportance give recognition, pay accrued royalties, execute beneficial
\nprojects and give contract award to indigenous contractors of Bonny
\nextraction as a step towards engendering the needed peace and correcting
\nlingering anomalies perpetrated by the companies.<\/p>\n
In a passionate request for intervention to the Acting President of
\nNigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the armed forces and relevant authorities,
\nthe accredited appointees of Bonny Kingdom, assigned to represent the
\nKingdom on matters relating to SPDC, exploration and production activities
\nwithin the Bonny territory,\u00a0 Amaopusenibo Tamunonengiofori Abbey, and
\nAmaopusenibo Amiebibama Pepple, through their Solicitors, A.A Olusegun &
\nAssociates\u00a0 of Destiny Chambers said the call has become\u00a0 necessary as
\nSPDC\u00a0 carries out surveillance, remediation, inspection and survey
\nactivities within\u00a0 Bonny Kingdom territories of\u00a0 Otokolamabe and Okolo
\nLaunch (Opobo Channel, Oloma, Ayaminima and Sangama axis) without
\nreference , consultation, permission or foreknowledge sought and obtained
\nfrom Bonny community and her custodians;\u00a0 while Prime Exploration and
\nProduction Limited on their part has been operating oil exploration within
\nBonny territory for the past three years without recourse to payment of
\nroyalties and accrued benefits to\u00a0 Bonny Kingdom among others but rather
\npays same to Andoni community who has no stake in the territory.<\/p>\n
In a written petition to the General Manager(East) SPDC and MD\/CEO of
\nPrime Exploration and Production Limited and copied the Chief of Naval and
\nArmy staff, Inspector General of Police, Director of DSS among others, it
\nreveals that the situation has become self-serving and intrusive, as SPDC
\nand Prime E&P Ltd in the same atrocious and disrespectable manner had
\nentered into negotiation and contract with the people of Andoni community,
\nhiring and given out surveillance contract to them when Andoni community
\nis neither landlords, stakeholders nor part of the Bonny community; an
\naction capable of threatening peace, and fanning communal strife between
\nBonny and Andoni Community.<\/p>\n
The statement reads: \u201cFollowing lack of regard and recognition of the
\nboundary ownership within the two territories and inordinate preference or
\nconsultation in favour of the Andonis in the areas belonging to Bonny
\ncommunity, it is clear that these companies are brewing an acrimonious
\ndivide between the two kingdom; even as we know that oil companies with
\nthe pedigree of SPDC and Prime should know better to act cautiously,
\nfairly and just.\u201d\u00a0 It reads, describing as sad, recent development where
\nvirtually all the fishing settlements belonging to Bonny community have
\nall been renamed and designated as Andoni, with some referred to as
\nFreetown.<\/p>\n
Further statements clarifies that the boundary line between Bonny and
\nAndoni kingdom is clear and can no longer be under argument, following a
\njudgment to that effect by the High Court of Rivers state in Suit No.
\nP\/79\/1956 between Chief F.D.F Banigo and ANOR and Chief Benjamin of Aganna
\n&13 ORS, presided over by His Lordship G. F Dove Edwin J, in a considered
\njudgment delivered in the 16th of August 1957.<\/p>\n
The judgment of the High court was further affirmed at the Supreme Court
\nin F.S.C 86.1958 to the effect that \u201cthe boundary between the Bonny and
\nAndoni territories lies clearly within the divide of the Andoni River\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Accredited appointees representing Bonny Kingdom through their
\nattorney said Bonny community have discovered preparation geared towards
\ncommencing the sectional replacement of the 24 inches TNP from Opobo Riser
\nto Okolo Launch section, and is calling SPDC to retrace their step
\nespecially in conduct and attitude detrimental to the interest, rights and
\nprivileges, contracts and job benefits that should ordinarily come to
\nBonny people. They advised that caution should be taken and all effort at
\naddressing the grouse should be immediately be put in place to right the
\nwrongs already inflicted knowingly or unknowingly by SPDC and Prime.<\/p>\n
A representative of Prime E&P Ltd contacted refuse to divulge any
\ninformation, he said he was not in position to speak on the matter.
\nMeanwhile all attempt to reach SPDC management and key staff proved
\nabortive especially when they found out the reason for the visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The people of Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom in Bonny Local Government area of Rivers state have given Multinational oil giant SPDC and Prime Exploration and Production Limited operating within the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n