From left: Friday David, Comrade Timi David, Comrade Mike Tiemo, Justin Saturday , Apostle Roland Inane & Mike Abiri Odunmogren
By: Celestine Ukah
The Concerned Bonga Oil Spill impacted Communities, CBOSIC, has given the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO a 14-day ultimatum to pay compensation and damages to impacted Communities.
The Concerned Bonga Oil communities and victims are demanding for over three Billion Dollars compensation from Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO, in a demand letter dated May 20th, 2023 by the Concerned Bonga Oil Spill Impacted Communities, CBOSIC, chairman, Comrade Mike Tiemo, Comrade Gbigbi Nelson Andrew, Secretary, on behalf of other victims, to the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, read thus : “The content of the letter from our group the concerned Bonga oil spill impacted communities speaks for itself.
“The Shell group has been a curse for decades to the environment and people of the Niger-Delta. From Ogoni to Escravos, Forcados, and Bayelsa the story has been the same tales of woe in oil Exploration without a human face. The Shell group has been the most detested amongst the IOC’s in Nigeria and the weakest link in terms of relationship with their host communities.
” It is in the light of the above that we the concerned Bonga oil spill impacted communities have taken our destiny in our own hands to confront the Shell group within the ambit of the law if our demands are not met within the stipulated time of the ultimatum”.
While addressing newsmen in a press conference Thursday May 25, 2023, in Warri, Delta State, Comrade Tiemo stated further that the Bonga oil spill occurred December 20th, 2011 and that they are aware that some impacted Communities and victims are in Court, noting that a ratification of the sanction in respect of the Bonga spill dated December 19th 2014 by the agency empowered by the law the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA.
According to the CBOSIC, “The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) the apex
maritime regulatory body relating to safety, security and the protection of the Nations Marine environment sanction of $6.5 Billion against the Shell group on the Bonga oil spill.
“The Britannia Steamship Insurance Policy Number- 04929000 on MT Nothia IMO Number-9399480, The Clandestine Shell Group FUGRO Finger Printing Report Number- J36194, Affirmation by two United Kingdom High Court Judges Hon. Justice Stuart-Smith, Hon. Justice O’Farrell and Uk Supreme Court that oil from Bonga FPSO reached the
shoreline communities of Bayelsa and Delta states within weeks after the 20th
December spill.
“We the concerned Bonga Oil Spill Communities have also realized how vicious the Shell group has been in devastating and polluting our environment over several
decades with impunity while hiding under needless and endless litigation to
deliberately frustrate and impoverish our communities to avoid liability.
“Therefore in the light of the above and having further noted that the Shell group has no regards for the Nigerian regulatory institutions and the Federal government of Nigeria that we the concerned Bonga Oil Spill Impacted Communities have taken our destiny in our own hands and hereby demand that the Shell Group pay damages/compensation of $3,600,191,206.00 as sanctioned by NOSDRA within 2 weeks of the receipt of this letter and move swiftly to clean up the environment, remediate and restore our land”.
