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We have spent over N23b on development, says Shell
Communities in Bayelsa State have described as fraudulent the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) with international oil companies (IOCs) operating in their areas.
The oil-bearing communities, located in Yenagoa and Ogbia local councils, made the claim during a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) in Yenagoa and Ogbia.
The commission is holding a week-long interactive engagement with stakeholders in eight local councils of the state to ascertain the impact of oil spills on the environment, local communities, livelihoods and health of the people.
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His Royal Majesty, the Ibedaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo, in his presentation, said the GMoU was a fallacy.
He said: “The GMoUs are fallacies. The oil firms deceive the communities with these documents and still will not clean up the environment or even provide social amenities. The GMoU has never worked.”
However, another representative of the community, Olubenson Silas, said: “We were not allowed to note our problems because they claim to know them more than us. Since after the discussion, nothing has been done by the SPDC and our people are suffering.”
Meanwhile, SPDC has said that its financial contribution to the development of host communities in Bayelsa State is now over N23 billion.
SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, represented by SPDC’s External Relations Manager, Corporate Lands Management, Trevor Akpomughe, who spoke with newsmen in Yenagoa yesterday, said the amount represented about half of the company’s expenditure on its host communities in the Niger Delta since the introduction of the community development model in 2006.
