OML25 crisis takes new turn as Ogoni dares Shell, Wike

Port Harcourt -- The Royal Dutch Shell and its companies in Nigeria have been challenged to mention the projects they have carried out for the host communities of Oil Mining Lease, OML, 25 in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, since it began operating in the area, 40

years ago.

Similarly, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was challenged to mentioned projects he has implemented for the OML 25 host communities since he became governor four years ago.

The people of Ogoni, under the aegis of the Conscience of Ogoni People, COOP, who challenged the oil company and the governor, said the interest of Ogoni people in OML 25 was to avoid what happened in Ogoni repeating in any other community in the state.

National Coordinator of COOP, Chief Gani Topba, speaking at a world press conference in Port Harcourt, called on the media to partner with the people of Offoinama, Belema and Ngeje (host communities of OML 25) over the neglect and injustice meted against them by Shell.

Topba wondered if the Rivers State Government was now the mouthpiece of the Shell Petroleum Development Company, while alleging that Shell was planning to divest its stake in OML 25 to an indigenous company which the governor was a stakeholder.

He said: "Go to these

communities, the state government and Shell have no project on ground but today Shell and the governor are intimidating the same community.

"I am calling on the international community to checkmate the activities of the Rivers State Government and Shell in Belema and other Kula Communities. We don’t want what happened to Ogoni people to happen to any other community in Rivers State.

"The media helped us the Ogoni people in our fight against marginalisation and we succeeded, in the same mind I am also calling on the media to support the fight against injustice on Kula people.”