The leadership of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State has warned of the imminent shutdown of international and local oil companies operating in the area if they fail to implement Community Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, as contained in the ongoing Train 7 project contractual agreement and other Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) previously entered into.
Bonny is home to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), TotalEnergies Nigeria Limited, and BelemaOil, as well as the Bonny Terminal, from which Nigeria’s crude is sold to the international market.
The kingdom’s leadership issued the warning during a press briefing in Bonny, shortly after suspending a planned protest against the IOCs yesterday.
Briefing journalists, the Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) chairman, Amaopusenibo Hart, informed that the protest was suspended after intervention from state stakeholders, including the security agencies and the LNG.
According to Hart, the protest resulted from the injustices, marginalisation, neglect, deprivations, and breach of agreements that the kingdom has suffered at the hands of international oil and gas companies operating in the kingdom.
He stated that the Bonny people have been peaceful since 1958 when Shell began its operations in the area, but has remained undeveloped.
Hart said that aside from the marginalisation of Bonny people in employment, management and administration, and contract award, amongst other things, the vehement refusal to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects in the kingdom is one of the annoying issues.
The BKDC Chairman said: “For emphasis, NLNG and SCD-JV signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) to execute the following projects in the Kingdom under the Train-7 Project: Expansion of the road from Shell gate to Coal Beach with a spur from Amaomu Junction to the King Perekule palace; Construction of a 5,000capacity mini-stadium and sports academy; construction of vehicular terminal, construction of a 2.5km road from Workers’ Camp to Simidia Junction, but has blatantly failed to implement any of them for years now.
“There is also an agreement to construct a Waste-to-Wealth facility, among others, but none of these projects has seen the light of day until now. Aside from the renovation of classrooms, no CSR project has been implemented by either Shell, Mobil, BelemaOil, etc., in any part of Bonny LGA. The last time any CSR project was done in Bonny Island was 15 years ago by TSKJ.
“Interestingly, the people of the kingdom are well aware that investors in the Train 7 Project provided adequate funds for the implementation of CSR projects in the Kingdom, but unfortunately, NLNG has ensnared these funds in its custody and continued to exercise sole authority over the funds without any input from the Kingdom.
“This has accounted for why MOUs signed with the kingdom to execute CSR Projects under the Train 7 Project are yet to be implemented; agreed projects undelivered.”
Hart described the absence of state and federal governments’ developmental projects as provocative despite contributing about 4% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He also decried that Bonny Island lacks clean, potable, drinkable water and basic social amenities and suffers from the impact of oil exploration activities, including acid rains, air pollution, shore erosion, and high living costs.
