11 July 2016, Abuja – Over 350 shoreline communities in Delta, Ondo and Bayelsa states affected by the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO, Bonga oil spill of December 2011, weekend, accused the oil multinational of using divide and rule tactics against the people.
The victims in a statement by Chief Awe Daniel, Warri South, Delta State, and nine others, said: “They, SNEPCo and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, have continued their attempt to divide the Niger Delta people in the bid to cheat and conquer the people of the region.”
Spokesperson of Shell, Mr. Precious Okolobo, told Vanguard when contacted, yesterday, “I have no comments.”
The communities, which dragged Shell before the National Assembly in 2014, said the company was deliberately sidetracking Gbutse Property Limited, their accredited representative/attorney in its bogus negotiation.
They said: “The accredited representative/attorney of all the shoreline communities remain Gbutse Property Limited and any negotiation without the presence and/or signature of our attorney shall be deemed null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.
“This recent attempt to revive the same crude tactics of divide and conquer after years of its defeat is nothing but a criminal attempt to incite the people against the Federal Government and/or intra-ethnic violence in the Niger Delta, thereby undermining the national security in a tense environment.
- Vanguard