In protest against the refusal of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to clean up and pay compensations due to them, indigenes of 20 communities and fishing settlements in Nembe Kingdom Wednesday, shunned a scheduled Joint Investigation Venture tour of massive oil spillage sites organised by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
There was massive oil spillage last Thursday from the pipeline belonging to the Shell flow station along the Nembe Creek.
The aggrieved Indigenes, through their representatives on the Oil and Gas Committees of the Kingdom, said though they had attended several JIV meetings on oil spillages in the area, it has not yielded positive results in terms of clean-ups and compensation to affected communities.
According to the Chairman of the Oil and Gas Committee of Nembe Kingdom, Nengi James, the decision to boycott the JIV meeting was to protest against what he described as the divisive and wicked conduct of the management of SPDC.
James lamented, “They claim sabotage to cover-up their negligence and use dangerous chemicals to sink the spill into the ocean and kill aquatic nature.
“As far as we are concerned, the boycott of the JIV meeting was done to draw the attention of the world to the provocation from the SPDC with their refusal to pay compensation to impacted communities.
“They (shell) rather than sent their foot-workers into the creeks and do shoddy work and claimed the spill sites have been cleanup..they are lairs. Let them bring information on those parts spills rather pointing accusing finger at the poor locals who defenceless; we so challenge”.
