Battle for OML-25 flow station pitches SPDC against host communities

The raging crisis between Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, SPDC, over the shutdown of the Oil Mining Lease, OML-25 and the Offoin-Ama, Belema and Ngeje communities in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State went a notch higher on Friday, July 12, 2019.

The  angry host communities had played host to SPDC for more than 40 year of oil exploration and exploitation. The three host communities insisted that they were done with addressing the press in Port Harcourt, the state capital, and the state government cornering few persons claiming to be true representatives of the communities, making them sign agreement with SPDC to forcefully re-open the shutdown Belema flow station.

The  host communities insisted on a fact-finding tour of  Journalists  to enable them see the level of squalor and poverty ravaging the inhabitants who had been hosting SPDC for over 40 years of oil exploration.

Thus, representatives of over 40 local and international media houses were ferried to their Communities. As coastal communities living within the fringes of the tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean, the first basic challenge for the visit was that the only means of accessing the area was by boats cruising several hours on water.

Journalists were transported by road from Port Harcourt to Abonnema Jetty in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, about 45 minutes drive by road from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital.

Initially, there were concerns about security because of the regular incidents of pirate attacks on seafarers. But Journalists were assured that because of the fact that they  were on guided tour of their various communities to show to the the world their sufferings, ecological degradation and abject poverty, they were ready to provide security, even if it meant forming human shields for them.

At Offoin-Ama, the first port-of-call, journalists were shocked to find out that there was no potable water, no health facilities and no school. What was a semblance of “a primary school”, was a makeshift batcher built through community effort and made of wood partitioned into tiny spaces called classrooms. They serve as both primary and secondary school.

Our Correspondent counted three benches and three desks in one partition. The floor was dampened and there were traces of water sipping from underground. There was no visible blackboard. The teachers wrote on the wooden partition as an improvised device. On a school day, each class had over 40 pupils learning while standing.

For healthcare, there was only one-room private patent medicine store managed by a quack female nurse, who gave her name simply as, Miss Happiness Giogu, who could barely speak English Language. She stated that the common ailments patients present to her for treatment were Malaria, Typhoid and Diarrhea.

She revealed that she delivered pregnant women of Offoin-Ama of their babies but that those with complications were referred to hospitals in Port Harcourt, which is about two hours to Abonnema Jetty by speedboats before stopping to board taxis at huge costs, which made mortality rate for mothers and children unimaginably high in the area.

There were electricity in the community except individual generators.

At the world press conference by the Offoin-Ama community in Kula kingdom, Sir Chief Ibiosiya Nath-Sokubo, Chairman and Spokesman, Offoin-Ama Council Chiefs, said the community is co-host to the shutdown Belema flow station and the injection and  booster gas plant in the OML-25.

The community is a contributor to over 200,000 barrels of oil and over 1.5 million cubic feet of gas. The exploration and exploitation of the crude oil and gas by SPDC have had adverse negative impact on the environment, making the community prone to ecological disasters like earthquake. The traditional occupation and natural resources for income which is fishing is virtually dead.

Based on the aforementioned neglect of the community by SPDC, at the expiration of the lease granted the company, in concert with other two host communities of Belema and Ngeje, the operations of OML-25 (the Belema flow station) was shutdown after a mass protest on August 21, 2017. Their  demand to date was that the company, instead of going ahead to divest the oil field to a non-indigenous company  known as  Crester Energy Resources, the divestment should be to Belema Oil and Gas Company, an indigenous oil company owned by an indigene of the area “with good track record and antecedents  of providing needed amenities for host communities just as it is doing to host communities of Robert Kiri field OML-55.

At the Belema community, journalists were allowed to interact with the rural dwellers, mostly women, youths and children who have been sleeping in makeshift tents with beddings, keeping 24 hours vigil at the shut flow station.

Addressing Journalists on behalf of the community. Engr. Fiala Okoye-Davies, the spokesman of Kula Supreme Council of Chiefs and Secretary of Belema Council of Chiefs, reaffirmed the resolve of the host communities not to vacated the occupation of the shut Belema Flow station until SPDC divested the management to other operators who were community-friendly, who would provide jobs, healthcare and other social amenities and empower them.

Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, an elder statesman and former Security Adviser to former Governor Peter Odili and spokesman for Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF and a prominent stakeholder from Kula kingdom, told our correspondent that it was regrettable that some people he described as opportunists carried away by the allure of quick money, fell for the ‘divide-and-rule’ tactics of SPDC and the state government by signing agreement with SPDC just to break the resolve of the host communities.

“They pretended to Shell and the state government that they are the true representatives of the host communities and by signing the agreement, the three host communities would vacate the shut down flow station of OML-25, let them come and re-open the flow station. The people are saying no to another 20 years of slavery with Shell. We want another indigenous company not the uncaring company like Shell.”

King Kroma Eleki, Sara XIV, the traditional ruler of Kula Kingdom in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers, who was one of prominent paramount rulers who took part in the signing of an agreement with SPDC to re-open operations recently at the Government House Port House, has described SPDC operating OML-25 as demonic.

King Sara explained to Journalists at his Palace in Kula on Saturday  that there was no significant development to associate with SPDC after 40 years of operation in the area denied signing the agreement so that SPDC could resume operations.

He said that the shutting down of OML-25 facility operated by SPDC was as a result of accumulated manipulation of the people over the years.

“My position is, I don’t want SPDC to come back to Kula because there is nothing of significance that as a Kingdom we can commend them for. If the licence of OML-25 has been renewed in favour of SPDC, I urge government to to give its operations to indigenous oil companies, preferably, Belema Oil Producing,” he said.

According to King Sara, as a recognised traditional ruler, he attended the meeting convened by the Rivers Government to resolve the issue of OML-25 to give necessary advice.

“I attended the meeting as a recognised traditional ruler in the state to render advice for the purpose of brokering peace. At the meeting, before I signed the Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU), I told them that it will not lead to opening of the OML-25 facility that has been shutdown because most the signatories are not the real stakeholders. I advised the government and SPDC to tarry a bit and visit the area and see the level of underdevelopment,” he added.

At the time Journalists concluded the world press conference at King’s Palace, it was about 7.30 pm. The boat drivers insisted that he would not ply their boats back to Abonnema jetty about 2 hours 45 minutes at that time because we stayed beyond 6pm approved time for sailing on the waterways.

Fear, scary thoughts enveloped not a few Journalists who never planned to pass the night at Kula. Dilemma, negotiations with the protesting boat drivers took the centre stage.

Finally, we set sail at about 7.50 pm on the high seas with moonlight cascading the scary waterways with diverse thoughts. Community youths on waterways surveillance contract provided the needed escort.

We cruised to safety at Abonnema jetty at about 10.30 pm and disembarked into waiting buses heading to Port Harcourt. We got to Port Harcourt at about 11.10 pm. Without any iota doubt, the three host communities of OML-25 are resolute on their rejection of Shell.