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Etche, Shell In Face-Off Over Oil Spill
The Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is currently in a face-off with one of its host communities, Okpuala-Okoroagu 11, in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State over an oil spill incident at the company’s Nkali-well 11 facility located in the area.
The Tide gathered that following the dispute, a man identified as, Prince Chijoke Amadi, from the community was killed Wednesday while unconfirmed number of persons sustained various degrees of injuries.
A vehicle belonging to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as other equipment were also burnt down, last week.
The Community Trust Secretary, Okpuala Autonomous Community, Okoroagu Etche, Mr. Amadi Aurelio, who spoke to The Tide, traced the problem to the evening of Sunday, 10th May, 2015, when community people were jolted by a heavy explosion from the oil well.
“On getting to the area, we discovered massive spillage every where. We contacted SPDC same evening and a team from the company came and left the following day. Another team came and confirmed that the spillage was from the well head,” he narrated.
He said the spill was a surprise to the community because SPDC tagged the well a dried one since 2007, and removed all the facilities, including the flow line.
“The location has since 2007 been abandoned by SPDC without surveillance, security, no grass cutting, no routine engineering maintenance, as a result, the place has turned to a thick forest”, he said.
The Secretary said on 15th May, the company stopped the spillage while discussions the company had with a delegation of the community twice at Shell Industrial Area, Port Harcourt were stalled as they could not arrive at acceptable conclusion.
According to Aurelio, instead of accepting negligence on the part of Shell as the cause of the spillage, the company turned around, saying the spillage was caused by sabotage so as to deny the community compensation for the huge damages suffered by the people.
“On 16th May, 2015, SPDC carried out a (JIV), Joint Inspection of the spilled area, and thereafter, forged the report without consulting the community leaders and chiefs”, he stated in a statement.
The statement alleged that because the community refused to sign the purported (JIV) report in which the company claimed that the spill was caused by sabotage, SPDC has resorted to invading the community with armed security operatives, intimidating leaders and Chiefs to sign the report under duress.
“This barbaric attitude of SPDC and the armed security men yesterday (Wednesday) led to the killing of one of the youth, Mr. Chijioke Prince Amadi during sporadic shooting, and others sustained various degrees of injuries and are now lying in critical conditions in one of the hospitals, as they invaded the house of one of the community leaders, Mr. Amadi Aurelio, who is the CT Secretary intimidating him to sign the forged JIV report”, it alleged.
Similarly, a statement issued by the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Port Harcourt confirmed the death of the youth on Wednesday, and the burning down of the Corps vehicle by irate community youth.
The statement, which was signed by the Public Relations Officer of NSCDC, Mr. Oguntuase Michael, alleged that youth of the Community attacked men of the command while giving protection to some Shell staff and contractors who were there to fix vandalized oil well-heads and pipelines.
A Patrol vehicle of the Command was burnt down by the armed youth, leaving our Personnel to escape on foot. Information is also reaching the Command that one casualty was recorded in the unfortunate incident,” it said, adding that the command had ordered full scale investigation into the circumstances leading to the development.
But in a response to questions related to the allegations raised, SPDC, said that the joint venture has over the years “implemented community development projects and programmes at Okoroagu central community and the entire Nkali clan as part of its overall social investment intervention in the Etche area.
In a statement, signed by its Spokesperson, Joseph Obari, the company said that “under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) agreement signed in 2007, SPDC JV has provided funding for electricity, water, town hall and other infrastructure in Okoroagu community.
“Also, more than 350 youth in the Nkali oil field area have benefited from the SPDC JV scholarship scheme and other human development programmes. SPDC JV will continue to contribute to the development of the area, although as is well-known, the development of a community is the collective responsibility of the government, the private sector and the people themselves.”
On the allegation that recent spill is as a result of a fault in its wellhead in Nkali, SPDC said that the claim was “not true”, explaining that “a leak was reported May 12 from Nkali gas Well-11 following the theft of the wellhead (Christmas Tree) by unknown persons. The well was not producing at the time of the incident.
“The wellhead serves as a seal and control system for a producing or non-producing well. Its removal at Nkali caused a leak of predominantly gas accompanied with some liquid which we stopped on May 15. Further repair work continued at the well location until June 1, 2015. It was clear from the joint investigation visit comprising representatives of regulatory agencies, the community and SPDC that the wellhead was stolen, although some community representatives refused to sign the report,” it stressed.
On concerns that SPDC has refused to address the impact of spill on farmlands, the statement said that “SPDC endeavours to clean up spills as quickly as possible, even the ones caused by oil theft or sabotage. At all times, we respond to spill incidents and work to clean up the spilled oil and remediate the environment as quickly as possible. However, sometimes access to the spill point and insecurity can delay our response.”
The SPDC also denied that it masterminded the killing of a community youth in cause of a peaceful agitation following the spill, noting that “Our staff have been engaging members of the community in order to assist with the demobilsation of a contractor who had completed securing the well from which the wellhead was stolen.
“After completing the work on June 1, 2015, the contractor was preparing to demobilise and vacate the worksite when some youth stopped him, demanding payment of compensation and other monies. On June 3rd, the situation escalated as our staff endeavoured to persuade the youths to allow the contractor to vacate the worksite.
“The community supported the well securing exercise, granted access to the contractor, and also supplied labour for the work. Nigerian regulations forbid the payment of compensation for sabotage spills. To set the records straight, SPDC did not deploy any security personnel to the community,” the statement emphasised.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.