Rivers Govt Denies Granting Access Into Ogoni To Shell

Bolaji Ogundele, Port Harcourt - 15.03.2008

THE controversy around Shell Petroleum Development Company's (SPDC) presence around the Ogoni axis of Rivers State drew further steam yesterday as state government denied granting access to the oil giant.

SPDC, in a swift response to government's reaction, has, however, cleared the air on the issue, pointing out that the access to secure its deteriorating equipment in the Ogoni area where it had stopped operations for about 15 years, was granted in 2006 by the Peter Odili administration.

The state government had yesterday, in a statement signed by the Director of Press Affairs to the governor, Mr Ogbonna Nwuke, said the authority the oil giant was reported to have accredited to it was solely reserved for the office of the nation's president.

It stated further that there was no time when the Rivers State government gave such a directive, adding that as a government, it had been committed to resolving the long drawn face-off between the people and the company.

"We have had cause to study the said statement and we are shocked that SPDC in exercising great indiscretion in this matter would want to arrogate to the Rivers State government, a responsibility that fully falls within the purview of the federal government and the job schedule of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces who has exclusive control over such oil exploration decisions.

"At no time did the Rivers State government direct SPDC to resume operations in Ogoniland. On the contrary, we have, as a responsible and impartial government committed to the economic prosperity of the nation offered to assist in helping to end the disagreement between the company and the Ogoni people, which has dragged on for so long.”

But SPDC said the permission it referred to in its statement was given to it in 2006 by the immediate past administration to secure its deteriorating facilities in the area.

It, however, noted that it had not returned for a full scale operation in the area where it had been forced to vacate in 1993, adding that it did not approach government for permission to return for operation, but to salvage critical situation of its facilities in the area.