‘SHELL can’t pay compensation without damage assessment, JIV ‘

The leaders of Amazor Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have advised the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) against the move to pay compensation without carrying out a Post-spill Impact Assessment of communities of the May 2018 Trans Ramos Pipeline Oil Spillage that devastated Amazor and its Communities in the River Ramos Area.

The Chairman, Chiefs and Elders Council of Amazor Community, Chief (Dr.) Gari Suwa, who made the call in statement in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said the council was aware of plans by the company to discuss compensation with some of handpicked members of the community.

He however warned such move would be in violation of extant laws and against the spirit of resolution reached in a meeting with the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) last September.

Suwa alleged the oil giant has already handpicked some of its hirelings in the communities to discuss compensation in order to truncate and/or preempt the PSIA and Damage Assessment already concluded by NOSDRA with the full participation of SPDC in December 2018.

He said: “I was surprised that my community chairman and his attorney were among those SPDC invited in January and May 2019 to discuss compensation, while we were awaiting the release of the report of the PSIA and damage assessment carried out and concluded by NOSDRA with the full participation of SPDC in December, 2018”.

Suwa also expressed disappointment with the Amazor Community Chairman, whom he said, “unilaterally and without consultation with the Traditional Head, Chiefs, Elders and the good people of Amazor Community accepted compensation term even though “he was part and parcel of the 11/9/2018 meeting.

“The resolution was to the effect that the payment of compensation in respect of the SPDC spillage shall be based on the PSIA and Damage Assessment already conducted and concluded by NOSDRA, and not by SPDC’s dictated compensation that was based on SPDC’s JIV Report,” he added.

He urged NOSDRA to sanction SPDC for her impunity and trying to manipulate and shortchange the communities in an oil spillage, stressing, “and that the Amazor Community shall only accept compensation based on the result of the PSIA and Damage Assessment Report. “

“The 11/9/2018 resolution was the outcome of agitations from communities around River Ramos Area following SPDC’s guided Joint Investigation Visit with some government agencies that excluded several communities that were impacted by the 17th- 18th May, 2018 Trans Ramos Pipeline Oil Spillage.

“NOSDRA in consequence of the agitations summoned a meeting of SPDC and the polluted communities at Abuja where the 11/9/2018 resolution was reached for NOSDRA to carry out a comprehensive PSIA and Damage Assessments to ascertain the extent and damage caused by the said spillage.”