OML 11: We won’t allow Shell return to our land, Ogoni leaders tell NPDC

LEADER, Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), Reverend Douglas Fabekee, has ruled out allowing Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to return to Ogoni land. This is as he enjoined Shell not to appeal the judgment, stressing that the Ogoni people would only work with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd (NPDC) and the Federal Government. 

Fabekee stated this while speaking at Bori, during an event organised by the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), to celebrate the judgement of the Court of Appeal that handed over the management of Oil Mining License (OML) 11 to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). 

Recall that the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, had last week, upturned the August 23, 2019 ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja which held that the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was entitled to the renewal of the lease on OML 11. 

In the ruling, the Appellate Court held that the Minister of Petroleum Resources had the discretion whether or not to renew the OML 11 Lease in favour of SPDC. 

The Court further held that the minister rightly exercised his discretion in awarding the OML 11 Lease to NPDC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). 

Speaking at the event held in Bori, the Ogoni leader, Fabekee, avowed that “under no circumstance will Shell return to Ogoni.” 

Fabekee said Ogoni people were happy with the Appeal Court judgement that handed OML 11 to NNPC. 

He said: “I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for providing us with a peaceful country and for us to gather here today. 

“Under no circumstance will Shell return to Ogoni. Ogoni people are happy with the Appeal Court judgement that handed OML 11 to NNPC. 

“We are here today for two occasions. First is to celebrate the Appeal Court judgement against Shell, which has taken the OML 11 license from Shell and given it to NPDC, a subsidiary of NNPC. 

“Secondly, we are today demonstrating to the federal government of Nigeria that the Ogoni people will no longer work with Shell. 

“Shell should not appeal that judgement because even if it is in their favour, we are not going to accept it. We are ready to work with NPDC, we are ready to work with the federal government.” In his remarks, the NPDC Managing Director, Mohammed Ali Zara, expressed his commitment to work with the leadership of Ogoni Liberation Initiative for the development of communities in Ogoni land in Rivers State.

 

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