The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called on the Federal Government to probe Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) over an estimated $173.8 billion allegedly concealed by the firm during its operation in Ogoni between 1958 and 1993.
MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, made the assertion in a statement to mark the 29th memorial of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others by the government in 1995, saying Shell had been reporting a daily production of 28,000 barrels, while Ogoni fields had a capacity not lower than 350,000 barrels.
Regarding this unfortunate situation, the association called for an investigative panel to make Shell account for the unaccounted daily output of 322,000 barrels, accusing the company of economic sabotage. Nsuke explained that if valued at $50 per barrel, this would amount to $173.8 billion lost to fraud during the period.
Nsuke said, “It is on record that Shell was drilling over 200 oil wells in Ogoni, an environment with excellent porosity and permeability, and reported a daily output of 28,000 barrels, which averages 140 barrels per well. That we know does not make economic sense.”
According to the MOSOP President, Shell lied about its production capacity and real output in Ogoni; that is why we are calling on the Federal Government to initiate a probe panel. Ogoni has the capacity to produce over 500,000 barrels of oil daily, and Shell should explain how it derived the official data.
On Shell’s divestment programme, the association argued it is an attempt to escape the consequences of reckless pollution of the Niger Delta region, citing the UNEP report on Ogoni and a recent report launched by the Bayelsa State Environmental Commission.
He said, “We want Shell to pay for this crime in Nigeria and not be given a leeway to escape through its divestment programme. The implication is that Shell will escape its reckless business practices, which have killed many and endangered the lives of millions. That is something the Nigerian Government must halt.”
MOSOP therefore urged the federal government to prioritize the development of Ogoni, adding that a change in the government’s attitude toward the people, as highlighted in the development proposal, will accelerate progress in the region.
