PANDEF seeks right of refusal on oil licenses renewal
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has called on the federal government to grant the indigenes of Niger Delta who are interested, the Right of First Refusal (RoFR) in the renewal and award of oil licenses .
Elder statesman and former Federal commissioner of Information, Edwin Clark, who gave the call while briefing journalists in Abuja, said the this policy will help to prove that federal government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are not only interested in the oil in the Niger Delta region , but also interested in the welfare of the people.
Explaining further, Clark said, Shell and other companies have sold all their oilfields, but not to interested indigenes, adding that the granting of indigenes the licences would help in impacting positively and rapidly on the social and economic prosperity of the region, the country and would hugely contribute to the peace and security in the Niger Delta.
Clark who also lamented that Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC, actions have caused untold hardships to the people of the communities said SPDC and any other oil company shall no longer treat Niger Delta people like their slaves and toxic dumping ground and walk away without taking responsibility.
Speaking further on security of the area, Clark has equally called on the federal government to up a high powered investigative panel to uncover those behind the deployment of the Naval gunboats to the host communities in OML 25 in Kula Kingdom, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday, 15th September, 2018.
He alleged that the Nigeria Army cannot dissociate itself from the oil bunkering going on in the region.
“Due to neglect and lack of commitment to previous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by SPDC, the host communities of OML 25 in Kula Kingdom, operated by SPDC was compelled to shutdown since 17th of August, 2017, calling on SPDC to divest the oil field to indigenous firm.
” In 13 months that the facility has been shut down, SPDC has failed to engage the host communities in any meaningful dialogue to resolve the issues in contention in spite of the intervention of PANDEF and the Federal Government adding that SPDC has resorted into the use of divide and rule antics, and introduced thugry, violence and in-fighting in the area,” said Clark.
He noted that over the years, SPDC has not only exploited the resources and degraded the lands, but has also taken advantage of the people, inducing unnecessary crisis and conflicts.
” Shell has not learnt anything from the consequences of their actions in the past, that had led to several crisis in host communities of the Niger Delta, particularly the shut down of Ogoni oil wells for over 20 years now.
“SPDC ought to have realized and learned from the colossal damage and hardship their actions have caused the people of Niger Delta with reference to the killings in Ogoni and Kula, as well as the revenues lost by Government and the country at large, and thus changed their policies on community relations instead of inducing uninformed elements to state counter protests in their support to operate the oil field.
Explaining further, he recalled that in 2016 some militants under the guise of the Niger Delta Avengers were involved in pipeline vandalization of oil pipelines and the oil production reduced, if not for PANDEF, the oil production would have gone down drastically.
” I led a delegation to the President where they provided a 16 point agenda which only the issue of the Maritime University has been implemented. We have become agitators, criminals because we have oil in our backyard.
“We have become strangers in our home. The Federal government should listen to the people of the Niger Delta and attend to their welfare,” he said
He emphasized that the Kula communities are desirous of peace at all times, having experienced the killings of scores of their chiefs, elders, men, women, boys and girls in 2006 because of the divide and rule antics of SPDC..
“The Host Communities of OML 25, otherwise known as Belema, Offinama, Ngeje, Kilama, Diaba, Okoama, amongst others and the entire Kula Kingdom have resolved that SPDC must divest OML 25 to an indigenous firm. SPDC must therefore put on hold any planned sale of OML 25 in the overall interest of peace and stability of the Niger Delta Region. SPDC must produce the report of pre environmental impact assessment carried out before their operations and post impact assessment to determine the state of the environment. This will be done in partnership with UN Environmental Protection Agency (UNEPA), the communities, the State and the Federal Government environmental agencies, PANDEF and SPDC”, he added.
He therefore, called on the Minister of State for Petroleum and GMD of NNPC to provide a conducive environment outside the Military Barracks for dialogue and peace building with the host communities, PANDEF and SPDC with a view to resolving the existing dispute, rather than the intimidation by the Joint Task Force, JTF.