NUOS INTL USA, CDHRAC INTL USA, MOSOP Oppose Royal Dutch Shell Onshore, OML 11 Sales In Niger Delta ...Says it Must Pay For Years Of Devastation In Ogoniland

The Ogoni - American organizations; National Union of Ogoni Students, NUOS Int'l USA, Center for Democracy Human

Rights and Anti- Corruption, CDHRAC, and Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP have urged the Federal Government of Nigeria, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reject the Royal Dutch Shell's purported "backdoor sale and caveat emporium and buy at your own risk of its onshore activities," arguing that Ogoni Oil is not for sale or transfer.

The group added in a statement jointly signed by the President of NOUS Int'l USA, Pius Barikpoa Nwinee, it's Acting Secretary General, Deekor Adokor, Coordinator, CDHRAC Int'l, USA, Cornelius Dumerenee, and its Secretary General, Toate Ganago dated Monday January 22, 2024 and made available to journalists that, "Shell has liabilities ranging from the burning of over 17 Ogoni towns and villages, and engaging in activities that led to the death of over 300,000 people, and instigating the then military government to hang Mr Ken Sarowiwa and eight Ogoni activists," saying that it has to answer to the numerous oil spillage cases in different courts.

"Nigeria is a sovereign nation and Shell cannot ask the President of Nigeria to shield it from wrongdoing and wrongful death compensation under litigation in all different courts, both lower and higher. 

"Asking the President to approve such a deal amounts to Shell asking the President to do its bidding or dirty work and undercut by the Nigerian courts at the expense of Nigerians is unacceptable.

"Shell cannot sell Ogoni Oil, particularly OML 11 because Ogoni Oil is not for sale or transfer.

"In 1993, the Ogoni people declared the Royal Dutch Shell persona-non-grata for decades of fraud,  oil theft and theft by deception," the statement read.

"Blaming and scapegoating the people  for oil sabotage, while on the contrary the Royal Dutch Shell has directed, instructed and benefited from its agent, associate and partner in crime oil theft, oil racketeering and stolen oil and money laundering and looting Nigeria treasury into foreign nations as well as conspiring with NNPC to hide Nigeria's average and total daily oil production is unacceptable. 

"It is time Shell takes absolute responsibility for its neglect and negligence of crisis-crossing and using sub standard and outdated corrosive pipes and equipment," they said.

The groups stated further that they were tired of "Shell's gaslighting, and pot calling kettle black presumptions, blaming and scapegoating the people as sabotage or engaging in illegal oil bunkers."

They added that "after 100 years of oil prospecting Shell and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) now wants to pass the buck to others, this is not acceptable.

"It is laughable to note that a tenant in the Niger Delta Region, the Royal Dutch Shell,  which we evicted from our land based on over 30 years of fraud, oil theft and theft by deception is deceiving members of the public on the oil it doesn't have and will never have. 

"We believe that It is time the Royal Dutch Shell wakes up from its commercial, marketing and oil theft scammed called globalisation to sell what it doesn't have, it will not happen."

The groups stressed that selling Shell Oil's onshore activities wouldn't only lead to antitrust, but would lead to petroleum price hike that crushed that has since crushed the nation's fragile economy due to years of mismanagement of the sector.

According to the groups, almost all the previous administrations in the country have done little or nothing to develop Ogoniland in Rivers State, which they said has been suffering deprivation owing to oil spillage and total neglect.

The groups maintained that the people of Ogoniland have suffered the devastation of their ecosystems and land, adding that the planned sale of Shell should not eliminate the need for the company to compensate the people of Ogoniland for the years of devastation they suffered from the company.

They added that "The devastation of Ogoniland should not be allowed to continue unabated so that the situation will not get out of hand.

"We are calling on the new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make life better for our people. There is no way life would continue the way it is in the area at the moment.

"Our people deserve the best at this material time and we will not allow the degradation in the land to continue unending. 

"We demand an end to the suffering of our people so that they can live a normal life like other Nigerians, especially at this period that Nigerians are battling with serious economic crisis.

"We are calling on the FG to declare a state of climate and health emergency in Ogoniland in conjunction with the United Nations so as to give adequate attention to the radioactive outbreak as well as  hire international firms with professional experience and technical know-how to contain this misery.

"There is no doubt that President Bola Tinubu will rise to the occasion and improve the lives of the people of Ogoniland as a true democrat and a listening leader. This is a task that we believe can be achieved with the resources at the disposal of the Federal Government," the statement read.

Recall that Shell recently agreed to dispose of Nigerian business for $1.3bn after 68 years.

Shell agreed to sell its onshore oil production business in Nigeria following a flood of other international groups seeking to withdraw from the country’s  Niger Delta region.

The 68-year-old Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria will be acquired by a consortium of local and international companies for at least $1.3bn, the UK-listed oil major said last week.

Although Shell said it's not leaving Nigeria entirely, the planned sale marks the end of an era for the company, which has been at the centre of the country’s oil industry for almost 100 years.

The group said it would continue to invest in Nigeria, focusing on its deepwater oil operations and integrated gas business.

“After decades as a pioneer in Nigeria’s energy sector, SPDC will move to its next chapter under the ownership of an experienced, ambitious Nigerian-led consortium,” said Zoë Yujnovich, Shell’s integrated gas and upstream director, in a statement.

The acquiring consortium, known as Renaissance, includes Switzerland-based Petrolin and four Nigerian oil producers, ND Western, Aradel Holdings, First E&P and Waltersmith.

Although some of the consortium have been operating in the Niger Delta for 20 years, the companies have little profile outside Nigeria.