Posted by By Smart Wali on
The initial contractual agreement between the Shell Residential Area Landlords Association (RA) and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) will expire next year.
The initial contractual agreement between the Shell Residential Area Landlords Association (RA) and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) will expire next year.
The Chairman of RA, Prince-Ray Elewa made this known to newsmen at the end of a meeting last Sunday at Rumuibekwe town hall. The meeting which was convened by sons and leaders of thought in the affected areas centred on peace talk.
Hear him: "Our agreement with Shell expires next year. In the next six months we should be negotiating with Shell".
He explained that since 1956, Shell began to occupy their lands, adding that the only official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the company and the host communities was signed in late 1998 and 2000.
Telegraph learnt that as part of efforts to reduce unemployment in the communities, a four-man employment committee headed by Davison Chinda was set up.
Speaking at the meeting, a mediator in the internal crisis that occurred among the three communities, Venerable Fyneface Aka told the gathering that he and his colleagues have deemed it necessary to come and resolve the matter.
He said: "What we came here to do is not to discredit anybody but to seek for your consent for peace move among all the factions. Our interest in this matter is that there is need for members of RA to come back. We must have a collective view so that at the end of the day, the association will come back and forge ahead. I am assuring you that we have nobody to favour and no man can influence us".
Venerable Aka admonished them to be careful in the way the matter is being handled.
Also contributing, the paramount ruler of Mgbuezilaru, Eze Efike Wali said the present executive of RA headed by Prince-Ray Elewa was prepared to embrace peace with their brothers who have constituted themselves into opposition.
Eze Wali maintained that the elected members of RA will resist any attempt to annul the election of the body that took place on February 28, 2005.
He urged his subjects and other members of RA to give Ven. Aka and his men the full mandate so that the court can grant them the order to settle the matter.