The Federal Government is being criticized by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) for not taking Shell seriously enough.
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Residents of the Eleme settlements in Rivers State have been ordered to leave immediately, according to MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke.
The organization condemned the oil spill discovered at a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) site earlier this week on Friday.
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Ogale, Aleto, Agbonchia, Onne, Okpaku, and Alesa were among the communities Nsuke mentioned as being harmed by the tragedy.
The protester pointed out that the incident had often occurred over the years since the government had not severely penalized Shell for polluting local communities.
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Nsuke bluntly charged that the oil company was being dishonest about the subject of the oil leak and the decommissioning of its facilities in Ogoniland.
He emphasized that “the recent spill is proof that Shell is still secretly using its Ogoniland facilities and has not shut them down.”
The MOSP leader noted that this was in spite of Shell and the Federal Government claiming to have implemented UNEP recommendations since 2016.
According to Nsuke, Nigerians have “encouraged environmental pollution because there are little to no consequences for the polluters.”
He continued, “In light of the current realities where people’s lives are altered by constant pollution and no one is held accountable, this is something the government should strongly consider.”
NNPC/SPDC/TotalEnergies/NAOC Joint Venture operator Shell’s Michael Akande stated that a spill occurred on June 11, 2023, at a plant in Eleme.
As investigations into the source and effects of the disaster advance, he stated that the corporation is cooperating with the Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Rivers Ministry of Environment, and community leaders.