ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, YENAGOA
Women and youths from Opu-Nembe, host of the Oil Mining Lease (OML 29) in Bayelsa State operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Limited, on Tuesday, staged a protest to ventilate their grievances on the rift between Aiteo and Shell.
Opu-Nembe Youth President, Moses Ayerite, and Women Leader, Mrs. Beredugo Afuroyanate, who led the protest, said it was an avenue to throw their weight behind the court action filed by Aiteo against Shell Petroleum Development Company demanding refund for alleged crude oil diversion from OML 29.
The protesters urged the Federal Government to prevail on Shell to respect the report of the Department of Petroleum Resources and the ruling of the Federal High Court demanding that Shell reallocate 2,081,678 barrels of crude oil to Aiteo and other oil producers from whom it had illegally diverted the crude oil.
They said the call on the Federal Government to prevail on SPDC to pay up on the alleged sum on the diverted crude became imperative to enable Aiteo to sign the needed Global Memorandum of Understanding with host communities for steady power supply, social amenities and student scholarships.
They said though they had invaded the Aiteo platforms a few months ago in protest against neglect, they later learnt that SPDC alleged diversion of crude since 2016 till date had grossly affected its financial capability to enter into a GMoU with the host communities.
They demanded that Aiteo be paid so that the company could meet its social corporate responsibility to the people as well as signing their GMoUs.
The protesters brandished placards with inscriptions such as ‘Shell: stop stealing Aiteo’s crude oil’, ‘DPR: caution Shell for stealing crude oil’, ‘Shell is criminally reducing Bayelsa revenue allocation’ and ‘Shell is shortchanging Nembe people,’ among others.
Addressing a press conference on the development in Yenagoa on Tuesday, representatives of the OML 29 Nembe Host Communities Forum led by Dr. Alabodite George and Secretary, Mr Patrick Ndaikienyu, said their interest in the ongoing face-off between Shell and Aiteo was because the portion of crude oil belonging to Aiteo which Shell had allegedly diverted was produced from OML 29 which are oilfields largely within the Nembe territories in Bayelsa.
They said that diverting the crude oil and depriving Aiteo of the financial benefits of same had the direct impact of depriving Aiteo of funds, some of which could be utilised for the benefit of the Nembe host communities.
They stated, “Like other oil and gas host communities in Nigeria, we desire that more be done by government and the oil companies to alleviate the level of economic hardship and suffering in the oil producing communities. Aiteo has been more considerate to the plight of the host communities in terms of sustainable benefits than Shell ever was. For that reason, we commend Aiteo while we emphasize that more sustainable development efforts still require to be put into the host communities.
“We must state that it is with surprise that we received news of the allegation made by Aiteo that Shell has been diverting and stealing large quantities of crude oil transported by Aiteo to Shell’s Bonny Export Terminal for export.
“This is a most unprecedented development which calls for urgent action by government. That is the reason why as host communities providing the bulk of Aiteo’s crude oil production we have considered it imperative that we make an urgent statement on the issue.
“We are aware that till date Shell is yet to refund the crude oil to Aiteo. This is in clear disregard of the clear instructions of the DPR. The effect is that not only Aiteo but also Bayelsa State and by extension the nation is being shortchanged in this affair by Shell. It is our duty to draw attention to the adverse effects of this entire affair on our communities and the economy of Bayelsa State.”