PORT HARCOURT—FISHER MEN in Bonny under the aegis of Organisation of Fishermen Seafood Dealers and Farmers in Niger Delta have said they will not take it lightly,  if they are shut out in a reported compensation programme being proposed by Shell for those affected by oil spill in Abalamabie and Oloma communities.
A statement by Secretary of the body, Mr Preye Okosi, said the spill from the K.C manifold affected the communities seriously, adding that they were the worse hit because their operations as fishermen were concentrated in the area.

They advised that all  stakeholders should be consulted before  payment of compensation by the oil company.

“Whatever is due to the Bonny fishermen should be given to them without mix up, because the fishermen livelihood depends on the sea. Shell must bear the cost of its environmental devastation and the injustice on the people.

“We  are set  to take up the issue with Shell if they should make payment to any group or  person without considering us the fishermen. Community right is different from fishermen right,” the group insisted.

“They are only working on the linkage area. But the spillage has adversely affected Bonny creeks and neighbouring communities such as Oloma community, and Okolunch creek in Well 2. We are asking Shell why should the clean_up and remediation be done only on linkage area, not thinking of the creek and the mangrove”

Meanwhile, it could not confirmed from the oil giant if it was proposing compensation for people of the area. A source in the firm could also not say if there was any recent oil spill in the areas mentioned.

He appealed to the Revenue Commission to stop making state Governors visit them at night or in the day time in the offices, and blamed the  Commission for taking 86 oil wells belonging to Rivers State to Akwa Ibom State, 45 to Abia State and some to Bayelsa State, because the Rivers State Governor does not visit their office.

“Let me tell you what you have done, you have made a state like Cross Rivers not to be an oil bearing state just because of  influence, it is absolutely not proper”, he said.

He regretted that he was speaking at a wrong forum,  as he was expected to be a good host, stressing that since the matter was still before a court of competent jurisdiction.,  “I am waiting for court decision, when it is over, I will state my position clearly.”

Governor Amaechi wondered how Soku Community in Rivers State, could be said to be in Bayelsa because of the intention to give revenue from the gas plant in the area to another state, since the Governor does not go to Abuja to negotiate.

Earlier, the Leader of  FAAC,  Post Mortem sub-committee team “B”, Chief Nimi Dambo-Kalabo, said  the committee, which was created in 2004 for the purpose of critically analyzing the monthly return of revenue generating agencies, had  recovered more than N1.5trillion  for the Federation account.