Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Residents of Rumuekpe in Emohua Local Government Area have decried decades of environmental degradation, health complications, and lack of corporate social responsibility from international oil companies operating in their community.
The communities are outraged over Shell’s planned divestment of its Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, without remediating the pollution caused by its operations.
During a tour of Rumuekpe by journalists and civil society organizations, Rumuekpe community leaders expressed shock and anger at the state of their environment, marked by destroyed farmlands, dead aquatic life, and widespread pollution.
Chief Gaius Ajuru, a former councillor, described Shell’s actions as inhumane, urging the federal government to enforce stricter guidelines for oil company divestments; and demanded that all polluted farmlands, rivers, and forests in the Niger Delta be restored before any transfer of assets is approved
Chief Ajuru also revealed that Shell and three other oil majors—TotalEnergies, Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, and Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (Aradel)—have failed to sign any agreements or deliver meaningful development to Rumuekpe.
“They (IOCs) met our rivers, farmlands, and forests thriving. Now, all we see are dead fish, stunted crops, and devastated forests. How can Shell think of leaving without fixing the damage they caused?
“No single person from our community works in these companies, yet they profit from our land and leave us with toxic spills, cancer, and infertility,” he added.
Similarly, the Secretary of Rumuekpe Women Prayer Warriors, Blessing Orijos, painted an equally grim picture, as she accused Shell of exploiting the community for almost a century without addressing the plight of women, who rely on subsistence farming and fishing for survival.
“Our farms are ruined, our rivers are poisoned, and our health is failing. Who will clean up this mess? Women here are the worst victims of oil extraction,” she said.
Orijos called on the federal government to halt Shell’s divestment plans until the company restores the polluted environment and compensates affected communities.
Also, another community leader, Chief Innocent Eruro have criticized the move by Shell UK to sell SPDC’s onshore assets to Renaissance Africa Energy, a consortium of investors, as irresponsible.
“Selling off assets without consulting the people whose lives they’ve destroyed is unethical. Shell must clean up and restore our ecosystem before leaving,” Chief Eruro said.
The case of Rumuekpe mirrors a larger crisis across the Niger Delta, where other oil majors like ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies are also looking to divest their onshore assets without addressing environmental and social issues.
