Bonga Oil Spill: Niger Delta communities protest SPDC’s delay in payment of compensation

The Concerned Bonga Oil Spill Impacted Communities (CBOSIC) has vowed to occupy Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) facilities should the company delay further the payment of their compensation.

The group, which declared this on Monday during a peaceful protest in Warri, also called on the Federal Government to prevail on Shell to effect the payment.

They recalled that the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had ordered Shell to pay them the sum of 3.6 billion 6.2 billion US dollars, respectively.

The angry protesters, who converged at the Shell gate, Ogunu Community in Warri South Local Government Area, bore placards with inscriptions such as: “Wayo Shell pay our Bonga spill money now”, “Shell clean our environment now”, and “Shell stop your evil practice,” among others.

Addressing journalists, Mr Hosanna Jalogho-Williams, Vice Chairman of (CBOSIC) and leader of the protest, said that Shell had been grossly adamant to both directives hence the reasons for the peaceful protest.

“We are here on a protest based on the Bonga Spill that occured in 2011. As of the time the spill occured which was the fault of the SPDC, there was no containment to the Tida flow and water spread it to about 120 kilometers on the water lines.

“However, every attempt to get Shell to carryout a redress proved abortive with so much disregard on us, using nasty languages to the extent of saying the spill is a misery spill.

“We do not know what Shell meant by misery, it does not make sense. Everything in creation have a definition in science.

“If you talk about crude oil exploration, it falls within the gamut of Petroleum Engineering. Also, in law, there is nothing like misery.

“NOSDRA has already told them that they are liable to the tune of 3.6 billion US Dollars. NIMASA also say that they are liable to the tune of 6.2 billion US Dollars.

“So Shell should pay the compensation. It was for these reasons we came within the ambit of law to do this peaceful protest.

“To let the whole world know the level at which Shell is inflicting pains on the people,” he said.

Jalogho-Williams, who is also an Environmentalist, alleged that some top government officials were behind the unwholesome attitude of Shell’s refusal to pay the compensation.

The environmentalist said that the evaporation at the gaseous state of hydrocarbon could lead to disability in babies and deafness, among others.

He, however, noted that oil spill was not all about the economy, but the wellbeing of the people.

Also, Mr Mike Tiemo, Chairman, CBOSIC, said that the protest would be a continuous exercise until Shell does the needful.

“We will occupy Shell facilities, terminals, platforms and locations until they comply. Federal Government should also do the needful by prevailing on Shell without further delay. We are moving to the sea to disrupt their operations,” Tiemo warned.

In same vein, Mrs Comfort Yaye, a 73-year-old woman recounting her ordeal, lamented the pains the multinational had inflicted on them over the years and called for immediate compensation and remediation.

It will be recalled that on Dec. 20, 2011, the oil tanker operated by Shell Petroleum was loading at the Bonga Community oil field in the Niger Delta.

Spill, however, occurred and resulted in the spill of approximately 40,000 barrels of crude oil. The incident occurred about 120 kilometers off Delta coast and caused several environmental devastation in about 457 coastal communities in the Niger Delta.

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