[size=18pt]Don’t sell oil fields in Isokoland, Okpozo warns Shell[/size]

News Nov 3, 2010

By Simon Ebegbulem



BENIN—NIGER Delta leader and Second Republic Senator, Senator Francis Okpozo, yesterday, warned Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, operating in Isokoland, not to sell the marginal field in the area  to avoid crisis between the communities in Isoko in Delta State and the company.

He explained that Shell could only leave the area with its “movable” items and not sell oil fields, which according to him, belong to the communities, adding that it was the agreement reached between the company and the communities in Isokoland in 1959.

Vanguard learnt that  SPDC had perfected plans to sell unproductive fields in Ogini, Deep One, Isoko Deep two and other fields in that category in Isoko, to yet to be identified. Speaking to Vanguard, in Benin City, Senator Okpozo, explained that the agreement Shell entered with Isoko people was on lease hold, adding that it would be unacceptable for Shell to sell the fields, which belonged to the people of the area.

According to him, “we learnt that Shell wants to sell the fields to unknown companies made up of dubious characters, who have worked in Shell in the past with a view to duping the communities and depriving them of their rights.

We are calling on the authorities of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and the Ministry of Petroleum to guard against such fraudulent practices. Shell has only movable objects in our land and if they wish to leave, they should remove only the movable assets on the land and leave the land for the owners.

“It came to our knowledge that because they were troubled in the onshore, where people live, they said they want to dispose of their assets in these areas. Shell has oppressed people who live in the onshore for many years now,” he added.

People there were totally neglected by Shell and not only that, they went as far as to steal the assets of the people, that is the areas of their operation where totally neglected.

“You cannot fish in the rivers, all their products where taken away by Shell. And when there was crisis in the riverine areas, their means of sustenance was the oil and gas production from the on shore because the militants did not extend their actions there.

When they operated in these areas, they refused to do any thing for the owners of the land. If their main cause for leaving the area is because the people said you refuse to do any thing for us, you can pack and go away, then Shell company is callous”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/dont-sell-oil-fields-in-isokoland-okpozo-warns-shell/