Consider economic downturns while making demands, Shell tells Imo communities
To avoid the ongoing intractable facility occupation by Belema community in Rivers State which has entered third week without end insight, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), may have changed tactics by being proactive on issues of community relations.
This time, the oil giant has resorted to pleading ahead of time, with its host communities in Imo State to consider the economic situation while making their demands from the international oil conglomerate.
This was the key point of the General Manager, External Relations of SPDC, Igo Weli, at a recent a stakeholders’ engagement forum held at Imo Trade and Investment Centre (ITIC), Owerri. He was represented at the meeting by the Stakeholder Relations Manager, Dr. Alice Ajeh.
He also disclosed that his company has made economic contribution of about $29billion from 2012- 2016; contributed about $1.8billion to the Niger Delta Development Commission since 2002, and has been on daily equivalent production average of 572,000 barrels of oil via Shell- operated ventures in Nigeria in 2016.
The objective of the stakeholders’ engagement forum, among other things, was to provide opportunity to interact and collaborate with external stakeholders on oil and gas issues.
Weli in his submission, averred that “The only way to survive is to increase production because price has gone down,” noting that the support of the stakeholders in current efforts by Shell to remain relevant was uppermost in the engagement with them”.
While noting that from Shell’s revenue earnings, it has paid about 55 per cent to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC); pays huge tax burden, spends highly on social corporate responsibility (CSR) such as building roads, awarding scholarships to students in the communities and many others.
Weli further pleaded with the Imo host communities to consider Shell’s contributions to the national economy and humanity across host communities as they make their new demands for assistance.
Shell also observed that large scale vandalism had made Shell lose much production opportunities, which translates to reduce revenue accruing from the oil bearing communities. He therefore called for community protection of oil installations, saying “Things must change. These are the realities on ground”.
Shell’s plea was further corroborated by the State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, represented by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Francis Bisong, as the host communities were advised to maintain security of installations and workers for sustainable development.
