An Ogoni socio-political organisation, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, (MOSOP), has said that Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, was attempting to elude liability in its asset takeover by Rivers State Government.
Governor Nyesom Wike on Monday announced the acquisition of Shell’s 45 per cent stake in the controversial OML 11 which was abandoned 25 years ago.
The acquisition has generated huge criticism by Ogoni activists who said that the licence for the OML has since expired.
In a statement by the factional president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, MOSOP said the oil in Ogoniland does not belong to the SPDC and therefore the company cannot 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 to the Ogoni oilfields to any interested party”.
The statement further accused the Rivers State Government of playing a role in the 1995 hanging of nine Ogoni activists.
“Considering the role of the Rivers State Government which led to the eventual murder of 9 Ogonis including our leader Ken Saro-Wiwa 24years ago, this Move is regrettable as it raises serious concerns about our people’s safety, stifles our 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 further noted 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 said, “It is, therefore, the position of the organization that the said takeover at best could be considered diversionary and an attempt by Shell to elude its liabilities in Ogoniland”.
MOSOP called on all Ogonis not to be apprehensive about Shell’s desperate efforts to escape liability and depreciate the intensity of its crimes in Ogoniland.
“We urge Ogonis to remain peaceful and law-abiding and assure that the crimes of Shell in Ogoniland will certainly be punished”.
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