Shell’s EGGS-2 Delivers N350m SCD Projects To Rivers Communities

The 58-kilometre 40-inch Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS-2) Project of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has left in its trail 54 sustainable development projects worth N350 million in about 12 Abua/Odual and Soku communities in Rivers State.

The communities in the Abua/Odual and Akuku Toru local government areas got a whooping N245 million and N105 million to execute projects that meet their development aspirations under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) between 2006 and first quarter of 2010.

A breakdown of the projects show that 37 were delivered to some seven Odual communities, 17 to Soku Cluster communities, including Elem- Sangama and Oluasiri while nine neighbourhood water schemes were spread among the communities according to need.

Among the projects are six classroom blocks, seven electrification schemes, five teachers quarters and corppers’ lodge, four town halls and guest houses as well as two concrete walkways.

Speaking at the project clusters close-out ceremony of the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGGS-2) Project in Port Harcourt, last Tuesday, Shell’s General Manager, Sustainable Development and Community Relations, Tony Attah said the event marked yet another milestone in the mutually beneficial relationship between SPDC and its host communities in the Niger Delta.

The general manager, who was represented by the Manager, Government and Community Relations, Theo Wellington, noted that the strategic gas pipeline from Gbaran Ubie central processing facility in Bayelsa State to the Soku LNG Gas Supply Plant in Rivers State was very critical for the Federal Government to meet its aspirations of developing the nation’s huge gas reserves and generating the much needed revenue to fund development programmes.

He expressed satisfaction that the social performance strategy delivered quality sustainable development projects to the impacted communities as well as availed sub-contracting and employment opportunities for youths in the two clusters, and commended the cluster development boards, community trusts, community leaders as well as mentoring non-governmental organisations for their commitment and hardwork in ensuring that all pledges made on behalf of the NNPC/Shell/Elf/Agip JV in the MoUs were fulfilled ahead of the commissioning of the EGGS-2 Project.

Attah attributed the successes recorded to the proactive decision of the communities to adhere strictly to the grievance handling process in the cluster MoUs, saying the result demonstrates that dialogue can help resolve disputes in the Niger Delta no matter how thorny.

The Shell general manager thanked the grievance handling third party facilitators, particularly the Rivers State Government, and indicated that the end of the EGGS-2 Project marks the beginning of the pipeline operations and maintenance phase.

He hoped that the existing relationship would be further strengthened to enable all stakeholders benefit from the next phase of the business.

Nelson Chukwudi