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Shell, Amnesty Disagree Over Spills Response Allegations
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) and Amnesty International have disagreed over allegations by the international human right watchdog that Shell and Eni were not deploying the best industry strategies in managing oil spills in the Niger Delta region.
While Amnesty International, last Friday accused the oil companies of negligence when addressing spills in the country, Shell, yesterday, denied the allegations of environmental mismanagement in the Niger Delta, reiterating its commitment to swift response to oil spill incidents as much as access and security conditions permit teams to mobilise and deploy to spill sites to investigate, clean up and remediate such areas.
The company said that this is in addition to deploying technology and best practice to make it more difficult for unauthorised persons to break pipelines and steal crude oil from its facilities.
Reacting to the Amnesty allegations in a statement made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Shell’s Media Relations Manager, Bamidele Odugbesan, quoted General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, as saying, “SPDC, in collaboration with government regulators, responds swiftly to spill incidents as quickly as it can and cleans up spills from its facilities regardless of the cause.
“We regularly test our emergency spill response procedures and capability to ensure staff and contractors can respond rapidly to an incident. However, response to spills, clean-up and remediation depend on access to the spill site and ultimately on the security of personnel and equipment while work is ongoing,” Weli added.
He said Amnesty International’s allegations were false, without merit and fails to recognise the complex environment in which the company operates where security, a sole prerogative of government, remains a major concern with persisting incidents of criminality, kidnapping, vandalism, threats from self-described militant groups, among others.
Weli said the transparency in the online reporting of spill incidents by SPDC in its areas of since 2011, which Amnesty International itself acknowledged, demonstrates its commitment to creating awareness and enhancing collaboration with key stakeholders on oil spill response and clean-up processes and deepening understanding of the complex and challenging operating environment.
“SPDC reiterates its commitment to carrying out operations in line with best practice in a responsible and environment-friendly manner,” he added.
Investigations show that over the years, SPDC, the operator of a joint venture between the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), SPDC, Total E&P Nigeria Ltd and the ENI subsidiary Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, has sustained air and ground surveillance as well as anti-theft mechanisms on equipment and pipelines to mitigate third-party interference and ensure that spills are detected and responded to as quickly as possible.
The company conducts daily over-flights of its pipeline network to identify any new spill incidents or illegal activities, and installed state-of-the-art high definition camera to a specialised helicopter that greatly improves the surveillance of our assets.
SPDC also works diligently to develop new hardware barriers and technologies to detect and prevent oil theft, sabotage, criminality and other types of third party interference that cause environmental damage, participating in industrial organisations in Nigeria as well as internationally to share best practices.
Investigations reveal that despite these and other efforts, criminals still target oil and gas infrastructure, causing spills.
However, the company explained it was continuing to focus attention on the detrimental impact of these activities on people, the economy and environment in engagements with the media, government officials, diplomats and community people.
It would be recalled that the London-based human rights group, had described the oil majors’ action as “serious negligence,” saying that they were “taking weeks to respond to reports of spills and publishing misleading information about the cause and severity of spills, which may result in communities not receiving compensation.”
Amnesty said the evidence of the negligence was exposed by a research project, adding that the oil giants’ “irresponsible approach to oil spills in the Niger Delta is exacerbating an environmental crisis.”
The Business and Human Rights Researcher, Amnesty International, Mark Dummett, said “Shell and Eni claim they are doing everything they can to prevent oil spills but Decoders’ research suggests otherwise. They found that the companies often ignore reports of oil spills for months on end; on one occasion, Eni took more than a year to respond”.
Amnesty International asked the Nigerian government to re-open investigations into 89 oil spills.
An Eni spokeswoman was quoted as saying that the rights group’s statements “are not correct and, in some cases, not acceptable,” adding it had provided a detailed response to Amnesty’s allegations.
Shell and Eni have for decades been two of the most active oil majors operating in the Niger Delta region.
Nigeria’s crude-producing heartland is an ecological disaster zone, scarred by decades of spills that have tainted the water and killed swathes of trees and other plants.
Yet, clean-ups and the associated compensation are highly contentious, with some local communities even blocking teams’ access to spill sites, allowing the damage to worsen, in the hope of extracting a bigger pay-out.
Under Nigerian law, companies must visit sites within 24 hours of reporting a spill.
Amnesty said that in one case, Italy’s Eni took more than a year to respond to a spill in Bayelsa State.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.