Kula Youth Give Shell Quit Notice

Youth of Belema Community in Kula Kingdom in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, have given a quit notice to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to cease its operation and vacate the area.
The Belema Community youth staged a peaceful protest in the area last week to register their displeasure over perceived neglect of the development  of the country by SPDC, which has operated in the area for over 30 years.
President of the Belema Youth Council, Comrade Opunabo Ipalibo, who led the protest, accused Shell of deliberately neglecting the community for over three decades of its operation.
“After over 30 years of operation in Kula Community, Shell has no simple project to show in the community. There is totally no commitment on the part of Shell to the development of our area, we don’t want that to continue”.
The protesting youth urged Shell to handover its facilities to Belema Oil owned by a Kula indigene.
The Kula youth pointed out that Shell was already divesting from the area and, as such has, lost its relevance in the area.
According to the Youth, only Belema Oil, can develop Kula and bring sustainable empowerment in the area.
The youth vowed to resist what they described as the divide and rule tactics of Shell, noting that the people were conversant with Global Standards in Oil and Gas operations and will no longer allow themselves to be cheated.
The Belema Youth vowed to resist the imposition of Shell on the community by the paramount ruler of the community, Chief Ibinabo Kala Oriye. They disclosed that the said Chief Oriye, was a stooge of Shell and lacked the credibility to negotiate on behalf of the people.
Meanwhile, the paramount ruler of the Community, Chief Oriye has called on Shell to discountenance the youth threats and continue with their operation.
Efforts to get the management of Shell to comment on the issue was not fruitful at the time of the report.

Taneh Beemene