Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt –– Leaders of Oil Mining Lease, OML, 79 host communities under the aegis of EA/EJA Oilfields Communities Traditional Rulers Leadership Forum, have cautioned Shell against selling its onshore assets without informing and involving them as critical stakeholders.
The Forum, during a press conference in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Wednesday, said, as stakeholders, their interests must be protected before Shell can sell the OML 79 assets.
Spokesperson of the EA/EJA Oilfields Communities Traditional Rulers Leadership Forum, HRH Decca Keredei, explained that EA fields since it was discovered in 1958, the host communities which cut across four kingdoms, have always provided an enabling environment for Shell to thrive without disrupting their operations.
Keredei, who spoke on behalf of the Forum, wondered why Shell would go ahead to sell off the assets without any prior notice, adding that the host communities have the capacity to buy the assets and operate them by themselves.
The Forum further disclosed that a petition has been sent to the Minister of Petroleum and the regulatory agencies on the matter, and called on both the federal and state governments to call Shell to order.
He said: “If the stakeholders are not carried along in this Shell assets sale, there will be no peace for those who are coming to take over. That is why we’re calling on the federal government and Bayelsa State government to mediate between the host communities and Shell.
“We have sent a letter to the Minister of Petroleum, NCDMB and NUPRC that our interests must be protected. Our interest in OML79 must be protected and preserved in this sale of Shell onshore assets.
“The production level of EA fields has not dropped or stopped since inception and we have created the enabling environment for Shell to operate successfully since inception.
“Anything to jeopardize the interest of the host communities will be resisted. The host communities can partner and collaborate to buy that field and operate. They (Shell) informed us when they wanted to start operations and an agreement was reached between us and them, so if they are selling they should inform us too. Even the peace bonus payment they promised us, we have not seen anything.”