Tony John, Port Harcourt
Youths of oil-rich Ogoni ethnic nationality of Rivers State have called on the Federal Government to appeal the court judgement, which mandated it (FG) to renew Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) licence.
The call followed a Federal High Court judgement in Abuja that ordered the petroleum minister to renew Shell licence to operate OML 11 for 20 years.
Speaking under the aegis of Ogoni Youth Development Initiative (OYDI), they said such ruling was not in the interest of the host communities, adding that Shell lacks good relationship with the Ogoni communities.
The body, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, jointly signed by Imeabe Oscar and Victor Wisdom, described the judgement as ill-fated.
“We reject in its entirety, the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which mandated the Federal Government to renew SPDC licence to operate Oil Mining Lease, OML 11, for 20 years.
“This decision is not only ill-fated, it is aimed at causing more chaos and creating more problems in the oil-rich Ogoniland.
“It is on record that Shell had operated in Ogoni for over 40 years and the period was that of divide and rule, sponsored crime, unrest and devastation, which the Federal Government and through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), is still battling to remediate.
“We are urging the Federal Government to quickly appeal the ruling of the High Court to ensure the judgement is quashed in the interest of the Ogoni people. We do not need Shell again,” OYDI said.
The OYDI stated that it would support the Federal Government to ensure the judgement is reversed at the higher court, adding that Ogoni have the right to decide, who operates in their area.
“The truth remains that, we, the Ogoni, have seared relationship with Shell. So, we do not have space for the SPDC to operate in our environment again. The Ogoni people have declared Shell persona non-grata in Ogoniland. We will not allow them to operate in our land.
“Our decision remains that Shell will not operate in our land again,” the group said.