‘Rumuibekwe Community Has No Problem With Shell’

One of the host landlord communities at the Residential Area (RA) of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) in Port Harcourt, Rumuibekwe, has come out to say that they have no problem with the multinational oil company and that if for any reason there is a conflict, it could be resolved amicably.

The community has also declared that it did not mandate any person or group of persons to take Shell to court over Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) obtained by the multinational oil company in respect of lands given to Shell by its three host landlord communities of Rumuibekwe, Mgbuesilaru and Rumuorianwo-Rumuokwurusi all in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It would be recalled that a Port Harcourt High Court and an Appeal Court had declared that Shell fraudulently obtained C of O in respect of lands given to the company to build its Residential Area in Port Harcourt.

Although two indigenes of Rumuibekwe were part of the people that took Shell to court, the community says it did not mandate them to do so at any particular point in time.

Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt, the Chairman of Rumuibekwe Community Trust, Prince Henry Adele, said though the community felt very bad and disappointed when they heard that Shell had obtained the C of O, the people were of the opinion that the matter could be resolved without heading to the courts.

“When we heard about it, we felt betrayed by Shell. But we never mandated anybody to go to court. We felt that the matter could be addressed through dialogue between us and Shell,” he stressed.

He further disclosed that while the contentious issue was still going on, Shell met with the community and paid the amount due as rent to Rumuibekwe through the then chairman of the Community Trust, late Comrade Badu Wokeh and various heads of families.

He stressed that after paying the initial sum of over N168 million, Shell further reviewed the amount payable upwards, making available another sum of over N54 million, which was paid through himself as chairman of the Community Trust and the four heads of families, who also indemnified the multinational oil company.

Adele disclosed that the money was accordingly shared among the indigenes of the community, pointing out that everybody was happy with the outcome of the rent fees paid Shell.

“As you can see, we have no problem with Shell. Rumuibekwe people are happy with what Shell has paid as rent,” he stressed, adding that “on the issue of C of O, the matter would be resolved. There is no need to go to court with our tenant. We never asked anybody to go to court.”

He called on anybody that claims to have a mandate to show it to the people, pointing out that any legitimate mandate must be signed by all the heads of families.

The Community Trust chairman called on Shell to carry Rumuibekwe along in whatever negotiation they are having with the two other host landlord communities, pointing out that they all operate under the umbrella of Joint RA Landlords Association.

He acknowledged that the community has benefitted immensely from Shell in the area of contracts, community development, and award of scholarship, among others.

“There is no point of uproar between Rumuibekwe and Shell. Any disagreement or difference can always be resolved in the interest of all,” he summed up.