Oil spill: Reps order Shell to pay N1bn compensation to Rivers’ community

By Tordue Salem
ABUJA—The House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution urging the Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC) to pay the sum of N1 billion to Joinkrama 1 Community of Rivers State.

The community is a victim of an oil spill by SPDC that caused “damages to waterways, farmland, and economic trees.”

The resolution was part of a report by the Rep. CID Maduabum-led Committee on Public Petitions.

The report “urged Shell to negotiate with the Joinkrama Community with a view to determining compensation for damages to waterways, farmland, economic trees; since the spill in question did not originate from Joinkrama Community.”

Amendment to its first recommendation by Rep. Betty Apiaffi (PDP Rivers State), also advised the government to engage independent experts to carry out an independent “impact assessment” of the damages caused by the SPDC to the environment.

A similar report on a petition by one Chief Suobo against the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) also scaled.

The report sought, among other things, to have Agip “restore the agreement the company reached with its landlord communities”, and “take steps to initiate the award of bursary to deserving wards of its landlord communities”.