Bayelsa communities threaten showdown with SPDC over GMoU

Bayelsa communities under the Tarakiri clusters in Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas of the state are threatening a showdown with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over breaches in the agreements reached in the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU).

A group from the community known as Voice of the Youths of Egbemo-Angalabiri, in a petition made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, and signed by its Chairman, Mark Pereotukefie, said the company has renegaded on the agreements reached in principle on the GMoU signed in February 2016.

The communities, which play host to three installations operated by the oil giant to include the Opukushi and Tuma flow stations and the Kambo oil field, stated that since 2016, when the GMoU was signed, none of the indigenes of the communities has been employed by Shell.

While warning of an imminent break down of law and order if Shell refuses to honor its obligations, the youth group said the Tarakiri cluster communities jointly and severally undertook to submit to a capacity building process but up till now, the company has failed to organize any workshop on that.

Other alleged violations numerated by the youth group against the oil giant include non-compliance with the pre-project training, pollution of aquatic and terrestrial areas, employment and capacity buildings issues among others.

Reacting to the allegations, SPDC spokesman, Bamidele Odugbesan, said SPDC does not implement GMoU but only made money available to the GMoU management board, made up of people from the community.He said the youths or any other person who felt the GMoU was not well managed should direct their petition or anger to their management board.