Niger Delta
OML 11: RSG Wins Suit Against Shell …Warns IOCs Over Provision Of Poor Quality Water To Host Communities
The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice Charles Nwogu, yesterday, delivered judgement in favour of the state government in suit No.PHC/652/CS/2020 filed by the Attorney General of Rivers State against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria Limited.
The Rivers State Government had claimed that SPDC Defendant’s/Judgment Debtor Interest in its fixed landed assets comprised in Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in Oil Mining Lease No. 11 (OML 11) sold to the Claimant pursuant to the execution of the combined court judgments in Suit No. FHC/PH/231/2001; CA/PH/396/2012 and the Supreme Court Appeal No.SC 731/2017 is consistent with the command contained in Section 287(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
The Claimants further claimed that “the continued defiant appropriation (despite the completed sale) of possessory and usufructuary, including pecuniary accruals in respect of its fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11 infringes on the Claimant’s vested respective rights to title, and pecuniary interests therein.
“That SPDC is bound to render accounts to and pay over to the Claimant all accruals from the Defendant’s continued appropriation of the pecuniary interests in the said OML 11, including arrears of commercial rents for their use of the said property from the date the Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Rivers State issued title documents thereon to the Claimant until the Defendant peaceably yields up possession thereof”.
The court, in a considered judgment, upheld the claims of the Rivers State Government in the following terms: “SPDC Judgment Debtor’s interests in its fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11 sold to the Claimant pursuant to the execution of the combined court judgments in Suit No. FHC/PH/231/2001; CA/PH/396/2012 and the Supreme Court Appeal No. SC 731/2017 is consistent with the command contained in Section 287(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“That the Defendant’s continued defiant appropriation(despite the completed sale) of possessory and usufructuary rights, including pecuniary accruals in respect of its fixed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11 infringes on the Claimant’s vested respective rights to title and pecuniary interests therein.
“Also that the Defendant is bound to render accounts to and pay over to the Claimant all accruals from the Defendant’s continued appropriation of the pecuniary interests in the said OML 11, including arrears of commercial rents for their use of the Kidney Island Base and Jetty from the date the Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Rivers State issued title documents thereon to the Claimant until the Defendant peaceably yields up possession thereof.
“That the Claimant ought to be accorded with all interests, rights, privileges and benefits derivable from its acquisition of the Defendant’s fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11 in accordance with the title documents issued by the Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Rivers State.
“That the Claimant is entitled to the Defendant’s fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and the license in lands comprised in OML 11 in accordance with the title documents issued by the Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Rivers State.
“An Order compelling the Defendant, their agents, assigns, representatives, privies or whosoever called to accord the Claimant with all rights, privileges and benefits accruable from its purchase of Defendant’s fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11 in accordance with the title documents issued by the Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Rivers State”.
The court directed the Defendant to account for and handover to the Claimant all monetary accruals it had made from its continued appropriation of the fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11 from the date the Deputy Sheriff of the High Court of Rivers State issued title documents thereon to the Claimant until the Defendant peaceably yields up possession thereof.
The court also perpetually restrained the Defendant, their agents, assigns, representatives, privies or howsoever called from embarking on acts or omissions adverse to the title, right and interest of the Claimant over the fixed landed assets comprised in its Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and interests in lands comprised in OML 11.
The court further condemned SPDC’s continued violation of the legal process by her continued occupation of the said Kidney Island Base, Port Harcourt and other properties already acquired by the Rivers State Government.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Government has warned oil multinational companies and international donors to stop drilling mono pumps in the course of donating water to their host communities.
The Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, who said this during an inspection of water facilities in Abonnema, headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, restated the commitment of the state government to package a model water treatment plant for the state.
According to him, the treatment plant was a deliberate effort by the government to check all incidences of water-borne diseases in the state.
Gogo-Jaja said oil companies must always approach the Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development for guidance in the course of providing water to their host communities.
The commissioner also expressed dissatisfaction with the poor handling of the network connection of the project by the contractors, regretting that such actions by the contractor would cost the state government extra funds in correcting the anomalies to enable residents have potable drinking water.
Gogo-Jaja also admonished the people of Abonnema to exercise patience, particularly those who have not been connected yet to the water facility.
He cautioned consumers association in the area against the exploitation of the people in the guise of connecting water to homes and residences, warning that they risked being dissolved and replaced with people that would render selfless services to the communities.
The commissioner thanked Governor Nyesom Wike for his efforts to ensure that Abonnema people have access to potable drinking water.
The Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHCMB) says it will commence Supplemental Immunization activities on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to vaccinate children from 0-5 years across the State.
The State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, who stated this during a sensitisation meeting with Media Advocate for Health, Rivers State, on the update of immunization exercise in Rivers State, said the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) is a re-enforcement of the routine immunization at the health facilities.
According to her, it is aimed at boosting polio immunisation against the circulating variance of polio virus currently threatening the total eradication of polio in the country.
She further stated that there are four pillars of polio eradication, namely routine immunization (administered on babies in the health centre), supplemental immunization activity (supplements to boost the babies), surveillance (searching for children that have weakness in their legs or some oart of their bodies), and outbreak response.
The Health Educator noted that the Novel Oral Polio Vaccination Type 2 (NOPV 2) will be administered to children under the age of 0-5 years, which targets a specific polio still in existence in communities and capable of causing paralysis among the stated categories of children, despite the country being certified a polio-free nation.
Dr. Babbo further stated that this year’s NIPDs will address the high number of unresolved non-compliance cases in the State.
She debunked what she tagged a false rumour by mischief makers which claimed that the vaccines are responsible for the development of autism in children.
She said, “vaccines are not known to be responsible for the development of autism. We’re just hearing that. The truth is that one cannot know everything.
“That aspect that has been found, have we looked into other aspects, such as genetically modified foods, drinks, and milks that our children are taking?
“Have we also looked at genetic compatibility between couples before we now say vaccines are causing x, y, z things?
“Are we looking at the environment where these things are happening, what they are peculiar to?
“It must not be peculiar to all the families, there could be something also that’s happening around that we have not known. Research is evolving, let us not accuse our precious vaccines that have succeeded so far in my knowledge, to keep as many sicknesses at bay.
“The reason we do not have small pox in our world today, apart from the lab (a bio-lab) is because we vaccinated to the point where we were able to move small pox totally out of existence from human beings. We can succeed with that same pattern with all kinds of viruses”.
She stated that the connection between autism and vaccination could merely be coincidence.
Babbo, therefore, urged all parents, churches, and school owners to avail their children/wards the opportunity to be vaccinated against polio the stated exercise.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has restated his administration’s commitment to providing more support to security agencies operating in the state.
He stated this on Tuesday when he received heads of security agencies, including Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral N.M. Madugu, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 16, Yenagoa, Tolani Alausa, in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Governor assured security agencies across board that his administration would collaborate with them to protect lives and property as well as critical national assets on land and the waterways by providing patrol vehicles, boats and other necessary logistics.
He informed the new OPDS Commander that the task force had a responsibility to protect critical national, state and community assets contributing not only to the daily oil production output for the federal government but also to development and growth of the state.
The Governor stressed that the partnership between the state government and the task force had ensured that crime rate in the state was reduced.
“As a government, we are working round the clock with the security agencies so that our people can sleep with their two eyes closed and also ensure that national assets are safe for the benefit of the people and the government.
“Often, it is misconstrued as though these assets are only for the federal government. Rather, they are for the state, communities and the federal government. So we must work hand-in-gloves to ensure they are safe.
“Therefore, it is our responsibility to always ensure that these critical national, state and community assets are kept safe”, he said.
Responding to the request of the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, the Governor stated that he had signed the Certificate of Occupancy of the land allocated to the Nigerian Navy at the New Yenagoa and approved a secondary school at Toru-Ebeni in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
He said the State Government was waiting for the naval authorities to commence development of the land.
The new JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Madugu, stated that the visit was to formally introduce himself and to solicit the government’s support to achieve his aim of protecting the critical oil and gas facilities in his area of operation and fulfil the presidential mandate of increasing oil production to 2.5mbpd.
While promising to work with the Nigerian Police to maintain peace in the state, Diri admonished AIG Tolani to be repentant and be more professional in his duties having attained a top position in the force.
The Governor, who recalled the role Tolani played when he was Commissioner of Police in the state during the 2023 governorship election, said: “Let bygone be bygone and work according to your conscience. Ensure that you are repentant and do what is right. Your zone covers Bayelsa and Rivers states and let the interest of both states be uppermost on your mind.”
On disputes among community youth associations, the state’s helmsman wielded the big stick and announced the dissolution of such body in Famgbe Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
He directed the Commissioner for Youth Development, working with the Commissioner of Police, to ensure a proper election is held in the community.
Diri also warned that traditional rulers whose communities were embroiled in conflicts would be sanctioned.
“Every other feuding community, including Ogboinbiri, we are still watching you. I have told all traditional rulers, if you cannot ensure peace in your domain but waiting for my wrath to dangle on you, then both traditional rulers and youth bodies will be sacrificed”, Diri said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has said no profession in the health sector was superior to others, saying there was need for cooperation among workers in every health facility to achieve optimal results.
He stated this during a courtesy visit by the Bayelsa branch of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) to his office in Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.
He assured that a good number of certified and competent medical laboratory scientists, as well as other medical and health practitioners would be employed based on the needs assessment indices at government’s disposal in the ongoing civil service recruitment exercise.
While appreciating their contributions to quality healthcare service delivery, he said government was ready to collaborate with the Association and other critical stakeholders in the sector to make health services more affordable and accessible to people of the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, said the current recruitment drive was aimed at addressing manpower needs in some critical sectors, including health, to improve service delivery in the state.
“We’re making progress in the health sector in Bayelsa. But we also admit that there is still much room for improvement.
“As you’re aware, applicants are applying to the state civil service, and some employment slots have been approved for Medical Doctors and Laboratory Scientists to be employed.
“We need competent and highly qualified personnel to be employed into the service to provide quality services.
“Every health worker has a role in health promotion. No profession in the health sector is superior to another. We are ready to collaborate with you to make health services more affordable and accessible to all Bayelsans”, he said.
Earlier in her presentation, the State Chairman of the AMLSN, Eunice Ayamaere Lelei, said there was need for government to employ more qualified laboratory scientists, and provide modern laboratory equipment in all its medical facilities across the state.
Lelei, who emphasized that laboratory scientists play a critical role in healthcare services in Nigeria, called for the implementation of the approved call duty allowance for members of the Association, and funding support for their Mandatory Professional Continuing Development programmes.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa