Shell, Chevron Faced Ultimatum in Nigeria

Shell Petroleum Development Company, and Chevron Nigeria Limited, have been given a 14-day ultimatum by the Local Government Council to arrange for a round table negotiation to address the alleged deliberate neglect of the community or face the wrath of the community in their Otumara and Olero oil field operations.

The companies were accused of deliberately refusing to recognize the Dale–Oketa Itsekiri community in the Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMOU, in their Olero Field Operations while Jakpa, their next door neighbour has since been accorded due recognition.

Dale-Oketa community stated further that all efforts to get the oil companies to dialogue on the vex issue has been rebuffed and therefore a 14-day ultimatum has been issued to to them within which they should enter into dialogue with the community or face their wrath.

When contacted for comment, a competent source at the SPDC who does not want his names in print told Vanguard on telephone that they do not have anything to do with the community while authorities of Chevron maintained that they do not relate with individual communities in their areas of operations, saying that it is the Community Development Council set up through the GMOU that handles such matters.