SPDC, NEMBE inaugurate N215m projects in Bayelsa

Projects worth N215 million have been inaugurated by Nembe community in Bayelsa State and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), the company has disclosed.

A statement issued in Lagos by Shell spokesman, Mr Precious Okolobo said the community and SPDC had jointly inaugurated 12 different development projects executed by the community under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) initiative.

The statement, said that SPDC Joint Venture provided the funds, while the community implemented the projects through the Community Development Board (CDB).

The statement disclosed that Gov.Timipre Sylva, in his address during the inauguration, commended the peaceful atmosphere that engendered the execution of the projects.

The Amayanabo of Nembe, Mingi XII, Dr. Edmund Daukoru, said, “This is a great day in our community. The GMoU process has delivered projects which will impact directly on the welfare of the people and we commend SPDC for the initiative.”

SPDC’s Manager, Central Engineering, Mr Bayo Olarewaju-Alo, said: “The GMoU takes our contributions to the development of the Niger Delta one step further.

‘’It enables communities to take direct charge of their own development. This is what Nembe community and others in the Niger Delta have done under the GMoU concept and we look forward to continuing to support them.”

In his remarks, CDB chairman, Mr Howells Young-Dede, said: “The GMoU has enabled us to select and implement projects using local labour. We are grateful to SPDC for the GMoU scheme.

‘’ We are appealing to oil producing companies to emulate the SPDC’s GMoU model in Bayelsa State.”

Okolobo said that the projects included marine and land transport and water schemes, fisheries, co-operatives and a micro-credit facility in which 500 women benefited. The SPDC spokesman said that the Community Development Board commenced the implementation of the projects in May this year, awarding and supervising contracts and making payments.

He added that SPDC Joint Venture was also working with the CBD to provide electricity for Nembe by the end of the year.

The SPDC Joint Venture introduced GMoUs in 2006 as part of efforts to build transparent relationships and development partnerships through five-year agreements with clusters of communities.

So far, 15 agreements have been implemented across Bayelsa and Rivers states while Delta State is expected to join in 2010.

It will be recalled that about 105 projects were completed through the GMoUs in 2008 while 80 others were undertaken between January and October 2009. The statement said that from May 2007 to date, SPDC Joint Venture had committed N6.3 billion to GMoUs while N1.84 billion of the sum was expended on five clusters in Bayelsa State.