*OML 11
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Controversies have begun to trail the Rivers State Government’s announcement of its acquisition of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC’s 45 percent stake in OML 11 situated in Ejama Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, together with the Conscience of Ogoni People, COOP, have rejected the Rivers State Government’s planned acquisition of SPDC’s 45percent stake in OML11, urging the Federal Government and security agencies to hold the state government accountable for any break down of law and order in Ogoniland.
Leader of COOP, Chief Gani Topba, said it was impracticable that the Rivers State Government will claimed to have acquired 45percent SPDC’s interest in OML11, when all that SPDC has is 30percent; warning that Ogoni oilfields are fields of blood, hence the state government should steer clear.
Topba accused the Rivers State Government of exploiting the debacle between SPDC and the Ogoni people, by moving to acquire SPDC’s stake against Ogoni interest as well as to sabotage the supreme price paid by the Ogoni forebears in seeking justice for an oppressed people.
He said he is of the belief that Governor Nyesom Wike may have been scammed as there is no subsisting OML11 lease which could have been acquired as claimed in his broadcast, adding that oil mining leases are not bought through court judgment.
According to him, “That it will interest you to know that the Ogoni Fields are fields of blood which are different from other fields in Nigeria both in peculiarity and historical context.
“That there is no such thing as SPDC’s 45% interest in OML11. That OML 11 was a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 55% stake, SPDC with 30% stake, Total with 10% stake and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) with 5% stake.
“That in any event, OML 11 operated by SPDC expired on 30 June 2019. Although SPDC made effort to renew same in 2017, the Minister of Petroleum Resources in the exercise of his discretion following our protests, decided against renewal with the result that OML11 lapsed by effluxion of time and has ceased to exist.
“That even if SPDC has lost OML11(Ogoni Fields) due to the failure of the Minister of Petroleum Resources to renew the lease in accordance with the Petroleum Act, we maintain that SPDC is under international obligation to pay to the Ogoni people reparation of $30billion, as reparation for the wanton environmental and human rights breaches committed in Ogoniland, as demanded by our forebears.”
Gani Topba urged the Rivers State Government to redirect and rechannel its investment acumen to other assets and oil mining leases already renewed for SPDC in Nigeria for the greater good of the State.
“We advise that the Rivers State Government should retrieve whatever Rivers money that may have been paid in the belief that it will acquire any stake in OML11, as the maxim nemo dat quod non habet (“no one can give what he does not have”) applies. We strongly believe that this might be another ponzi scheme floated by your enemies to drain the State of scarce funds which could have been invested in more productive ventures.
“We urge the Rivers State Government to redirect its investment acumen towards the revamping and bringing on stream economically viable assets of the State inherited from previous administrations to wit: Songhai Farm, Rivers State Banana Farm, Rivers State Fish Farm Buguma, RisonPalm and others.
“We also advise the Rivers State Government to prioritise the establishment of industries, creation of employment opportunities for our teeming youths, payment arrears of retirement benefits to retirees, promotion of civil servants, and development of critical infrastructures and tackling of the security issues bedeviling the State.”
Similarly, the President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said SPDC was attempting to escape liability in asset takeover by Rivers State Government, warning that it will resist any attempt to transfer titles of Ogoni fields to anybody or group.
Nsuke said it the move by the Rivers State Government is regrettable as it raises concerns about Ogoni people’s safety, stifles their hopes of a peaceful resolution of the Ogoni conflicts, disregards the concerns of the Ogoni people as documented in the Ogoni Bill of Rights and threatens the peace of Ogoniland.
“MOSOP wishes to dispel the misconception implied in the statement by the Rivers State Government and to make its position unequivocally clear that the oil in Ogoniland does not belong to the SPDC and therefore the company not transfer title to assets not owned by it to anybody, group, institution, community, organization or government.
“We note that even judging by the highly discriminatory Nigerian laws, the oil in Ogoni legally does not belong to Shell (SPDC) and therefore Shell could not and cannot transfer title of the Ogoni oilfields to any interested party.
“We further note that the move could lead to further militarization and killing of the Ogoni people and raises serious concerns about the safety and protection of the Ogoni people in Nigeria.
“It is therefore our position that the said takeover at best could be considered diversionary and an attempt by Shell to escape its liabilities in Ogoniland.”
Meanwhile, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, has declined comments on the acquisition of its 45percent stake in Oil Mining Lease, OML11 by the Rivers State Government.
SPDC Media Relations Manager, Bamidele Odugbesan, confirmed that the announcement made by Governor Wike was in respect to the company’s assets which was pending in court.
“The announcement by the Rivers State Government is in respect of the assets of SPDC which form part of a matter that is pending in court, for which reason we are unable to make further comments,” Odugbesan said.
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