Lorine Emenike
Mgbuesilaru Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has expressed joy over the peaceful resolution of 14 years dispute with Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, on Land Lease Agreement.
The community also assured of peaceful co-existence with SPDC to ensure that money meant for the development of the community which has been held within in the past 14 years would be fully paid.
This was coming after the community and the Company approached the Supreme Court and applied for an out of court settlement of the dispute.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Chairman of Mgbuesilaru Town Council, Promise Iwezor, disclosed that the community is happy to have resolved the matter which it instituted against SPDC in 2005.
Iwezor warned those who intend to sabotage the peace move to desist from it, adding that the community is ready to officially write the chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA to arrange a venue and supervise the signing of the Out-of-Court settlement.
He said: “The people of Mgbuesilaru Town has been in a long-term court battle over Land Lease Agreement with Shell.
“SPDC as appellant through HRH Eze Morgan Amadi, applied to Supreme Court to grant parties leave to settle the matter out of court.
“The Supreme Court in its wisdom granted the leave. The community is peaceful and is happy to resolve this long term impasse.”
Iwezor noted that 80% of the persons causing the problem to ensure the agreement is not signed are not from the community, warning individuals to stop issuing threats to SPDC.
Meanwhile, the President of Mgbuesilaru Youth Association, Comrade Kingsley Nwanwa, expressed happiness that the community would soon receive all the money owed them by SPDC.
Nwanwa assured the oil giant of peace in the community, calling on security operatives to work with the community leader to ensure lasting peace.
