Victims Of 2011 Bonga Oil Spill Victims Give Shell 14-day Ultimatum

Victims of 2011 Bonga oil spill, which affected over 350 coastal communities in Delta and Bayelsa states, have threatened to shut down oil production by Shell Nigeria Exploration Company, SNEPCO, over failure to compensate them despite directive by the House of Representatives and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA.

The affected communities have issued a 14-day ultimatum beginning from today to Shell to begin implementation of compensation process without delay or face the consequences.

In a letter addressed to Managing Director of SNEPCO and made available to National Mirror in Warri, they lamented that aquatic lives and property were destroyed as a result of crude discharged into the environment and sea.

It would be recalled that the incident occurred along the Atlantic coastline on December 20, 2011, resulting in pollution that covered a distance of 185 kilometres on the coasts of Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, and Brass local government areas of Bayelsa State and Warri South-West, Warri North and Burutu local government areas of Delta State.

The letter signed by Executive Director of Oil Spill Victims Vanguard, OSPIVV, a non-governmental organisation, Mr. Harrison Jalla, acting on behalf of the affected communities contended that people of the area now live in abject poverty, including grievous illness.

Jalla stated that over 40,000 barrels of crude was discharged into the Atlantic Ocean as a result of equipment failure at SNEPCO’s Bonga oil field during the December 2011 incident.

They stressed that after due process and investigations, the House of Representatives and NOSDRA levied SNEPCO $.6bn to be paid to the affected communities.

It added that Federal Government within 14 days in a letter dated 19th of December 2014 with reference number NOSDRA/ DFA/13/vol.v1/409 was directed to ensure the compensation was paid to the people.

“The Oil Spill Victims Vanguard have served a notice to SNEPCO and we will wait for their reaction and if they fail or refuse to pay the recommended compensation to the concerned victims of the spill as directed by NOSDRA, the Oil spill vanguard would have no option than to mobilise all affected communities to shut down all SNEPCO operations within the Niger Delta region and we assure you that all our actions shall be within the ambit of law,” the letter stated.

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Posted: at 20-08-2015 06:43 AM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Good move

Posted: at 20-08-2015 07:29 AM (9 years ago) | Upcoming

Shell make una compensate dem b4 anoda gbege go start for dat area again. We never finish wit boko boys. Make those militans no carry gun cus their own worst pass bokos

Posted: at 20-08-2015 08:08 AM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

maybe shell don pay the money to wrong hand dem!!   naija na corruption

Posted: at 20-08-2015 08:35 AM (9 years ago) | Grande Master

Waiting 4 hearing in d next episode

Posted: at 20-08-2015 09:20 AM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Why, this spillage is deadly, it destroys their Livelihood, it makes the water unfit for drinking, it kills the fishes, in addition may even be toxic to the air, the must clean this spillage, else they would be destroying normal people's lives.

Posted: at 20-08-2015 12:26 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Haba, Shell, compensate them naa, upon all this money u are making... Oil spill is d worst thing dat can ever happen to an environment. Too bad

Posted: at 20-08-2015 12:54 PM (9 years ago) | Hero

Nigeria Jaga Jaga

Posted: at 20-08-2015 07:40 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming