Shell’s Donation Splits Community

A Shell gift of 300 scrap pipes valued at between N30 million and N34 million naira is causing ripples in Okporowo-Ekpeye community in Ahoada-East local government area of Rivers State.

  Already, the Executive Council of Chiefs and elders of the community have suspended two prominent heads, Chief Clifford U Shika and Chief Chinyere S. Esupka, former council chairman and vice respectively.

Addressing newsmen at Okporowo-Ekpeye, the new chairman of the Council of Chiefs and Elders, Dr. Ego A. Seji explained that the affected community leaders incurred the ire of the people over their mishandling of 300 scrap pipes donated by Shell.

He explained that the pipes were given to the community after his installation in December last year, where upon the community called for bid for purchase of the scraps.

According to him the pipes, after the bids were estimated to cost, N150,000.00, N160,000.00 and N170,000.00 each.

Trouble however started when the two suspended officials claimed that each of the pipes was sold at N55,000, meaning a proceed of N16.5 million instead of the above N34 million generally expected.

A statement signed by Dr. Ego Soji and made available to The Tide reads, “consequently, the entire community, including elders of the seven families that make-up Okporowo autonomous community, therefore, agreed to suspend them till further notice.

Attelmpts to reach the affected chiefs Shika and Esupka proved abortive as both failed to pick our  telephone calls.