Tension heightens in Rivers communities over Shell contracts

By Brave Dickson

The youths of some communities in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State are in a serious face-off with their leaders over Shell contracts and employments.

The youths are accusing members of the Shell cluster board and some landlords of the oil multinational of sidelining them on jobs and contracts.

The youths who once told our correspondent of their intention to block Shell workers from accessing their facilities in the area said they are now waiting for the outcome of government’s intervention before knowing what to do next.

When asked today by our correspondent on the current state of their impasse with some leaders of the area, the Youth Leader of one of the communities, Comrade Binoye George said: “The people causing this problem are members of the Shell Cluster Development Board.

They signed the FTO agreement in their favour against the communities’ interest.

“Others causing this problem are the members of some families that said they are the landlords and that employments and contracts should be for them alone.

“They are Akiro family of Aminigboko community and Okpana family of Egunughan community respectively.

“The government has not come up with a clear statement of its intervention plan.”