Members of the Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria in Niger Delta have urged President Bola Tinubu to compel the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited to pay $3.6 billion awarded to them as compensation for the 2011 Bonga oil spill.
The fishermen, in a petition titled ‘Save Our Soul’, obtained by the NATION in Akure, Ondo State capital, released on Saturday, said it was the resolution of the group that President Tinubu help intervene in ensuring Shell was made to fulfill the financial obligation.
According to the copy of the petition jointly signed by Alexander Mesogboriwon, Jeremiah Omogbemi, Olamiyeye Jeje, Anthony Erejuwa and, Erukubami Durojaye, they lamented that the oil spillage had contaminated kilometers of fishing coast line of Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Balyesa, Delta and Ondo States.
The concerned fishermen, who noted that they had always pledged their support for the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu in re-building the nation for development, the oil spillage had foisted further hardship, forcing them to suspend fishing activities and trade on the coastal waters.
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“Your excellence, it is on the basis of the renewed hope initiated by your administration that we, as one of the hopeless and the defenceless association forward this petition to your exalted office to prevail upon Shell Development Company Nigeria Limited to pay compensation to our members and the affected Communities by the BONGA oil spill.
“The oil spillage occurred on 20th December, 2011 at the BONGA floating production storage -and offloading platform owned and operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigerian Limited as a result of equipment failure when loading petroleum products from their facility which leaked into sea with over 40,000 (forty thousand) barrel of crude oil.
“Your excellence, the spill spread and contaminated kilometers of fishing coast line of Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Balyesa, Delta and Ondo States, as a result of the high current tide in the sea causing the crude to spread on the high sea, consequence upon which National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA) gave Direction to move away from the high sea with immediate effect and suspend fishing activities which our members obeyed,” the petition read.
Recalling that several letters had been written to both the SPDC and NOSDRA, the fishermen reminded the President that a public hearing was conducted by the National Assembly where an award of $3.6 billion by way of compensation was made directing Shell Petroleum to pay the affected people.
They, however, further pleaded with President Tinubu to compel the Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited to pay them the sum of $3.6 billion as awarded.
“Your excellence, we want you to use your good offices to direct NOSDRA and the office of Attorney General and Minister for Justice to enforce sanctions on the $3.6 billion against SPDC as directed by the National Assembly,” it added.
On December 20, 2011, the Bonga Oil spill occurred during Shell’s exploration activities in OML 118, located 120 kilometres off Nigeria’s coast in the Gulf of Guinea.
The rupture of Shell’s export line connected to the Float Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel led to the release of approximately 40,000 barrels (6.4 million litres) of crude oil into the sea, affecting the communities across the Niger Delta.
In response to the spill, NOSDRA imposed a $1.8 billion compensation for environmental damages and loss of income on affected communities and another $1.8 million as a punitive penalty. The liability totalled $3.6 billion.