Communities Hail Shell Over GMoU Programme

Communities in Rivers State have commended the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for its consistent  implementation of projects and programmes recommended by the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU with communities in the state.

Speaking in an interview with The Tide Thursday at the GMoU Fair organised in Port Harcourt, various communities leaders and traditional rulers ranked Shell above average in terms of developmental projects and programmes across the state.

The Amanyanabo of Fouchee in Degema Local Government Area, Chief Adolphus Iworima said, there is need to commend Shell for its efforts, stressing that the company has improved and consistently implemented projects and programmes in the GMoU.

He said, so far, Shell had embarked on over thirty developmental projects and programmes including scholarship awards in Degema Cluster.

Also commended the  SPDC is the secretary to Etche Cluster, Mr Loveday Okere described the GMoU as the best way to ensure communities development in the state.

He said if Shell maintained their quotas with government, communities would be transformed, and SPDC would continue to operate peacefully in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, SPDC has given the people of Etche Cluster over N78 million as annual GMoU fund.

Also speaking the chairman Andoni Cluster, Chief Gad Harry Ekprikpo said, since the Shell GMoU Initiative with communities in the state, the company hadspent billions of naira on developmental projects such as construction of roads, hospitals, school buildings, town halls, market stalls, scholarships among others in various communities.

He used the opportunity to appeal to SPDC to improve in the area of empowerment and human capacity development.

Others, who spoke were Chiefs Kan Nwobunwo from Ikwerre Cluster, Orinate Moses for Degema Foundation Development, Odiari C.J. T. Princewill Buguma, Paul Eyindah from Igwuruta among others who scored SPDC above seventy percent in terms of implementation of the GMoU in the state.

Enoch Epelle