Oil
Communities clamour for compensation over Shell Bonga Oil spill
WARRI – Mr Amoma-Francis Monday, Leader/Coordinator, All Communities affected by Shell Bonga Oil Spill in Niger Delta, on Thursday in Warri called for compensation for the communities affected by the oil spill.
Monday made the call after a team of experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment and Health concluded their findings on the impact of the Shell Bonga oil spill.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the 2011 oil spill had brought about different ailments and untold hardship resulting in increased death of people living in 800 communities along the coastal belt.
Monday said that the situation prompted the group to draw the Federal Government’s attention to the affected communities.
“It was our letter that prompted the Federal Ministry of Environment, Health, and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to send experts to verify our allegations,” he said.
The coordinator said that the experts were able to administer 60,000 questionnaires on 80 out of the 800 communities along the coast of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers to ascertain their challenges.
We are supposed to administer 200,000 questionnaires but because of logistics, we were able administer only 60,000 in six days and these will be returned to government for evaluation.
The aim of the exercise is to draw government’s attention to the condition of the people living in the creeks and direct shell company to mop up the environment.
“It is also to urge Shell to release relief materials to the victims as directed by the National Assembly and also compensate them accordingly,” Monday said.
Mrs Fumilayo Oyeyipo, Deputy Director, Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, Federal Ministry of Environment said that the soil and water samples collected would be taken to their laboratory for analysis.
Oyeyipo gave the people assurance of government’s readiness to assist them and that the result of the analysis would be made known to the public as soon as it was ready.
In a remark, Pa Holden Majebi, the community head of Egboroke in Ogheye, Warri North Local Government Area in Delta, thanked the experts for the august visit.
Majebi said that his wards had been living in penury since the oil spill and that the development had affected fishing, which was their major means of livelihood.
He appealed to the Federal Government and Shell company to compensate them.
Mr Clifford Kolo, a representative of Obogboro Community in Warri North, urged the experts to not to doctor their analysis.
Also, a representative of Ugbebe community, Mr Felix Olarenwaju, appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action to enable the communities to get what they deserved.
Mr Anderson Uwawah, a former secretary of Ugborodo community in Escravos, Warri South-West Local Government Area, called for the provision of facilities such as schools, healthcare centres and potable water in the communities.
Mr Jacob Ajuju, the Amanawei of Orobiri Community, Kou-Kingdom in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa, commended the Federal Government for its intervention and urged them to ensure that justice was done in the investigation.
– NIGERIAN BULLETIN
In a strategic move to revitalize Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has unveiled two key fiscal incentives aimed at attracting investment and enhancing energy security.
The announcement was made by Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Wednesday.
The first initiative, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Modification Order 2024, introduces critical exemptions for essential energy products and infrastructure, including Diesel, Feed Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, and Clean Cooking Equipment.
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These exemptions are designed to reduce living costs for Nigerians, promote energy security, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy alternatives.
The second initiative, the Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Oil & Gas Production, offers new tax relief options for deep offshore exploration projects.
This measure aims to position Nigeria’s deep offshore basin as a premier destination for international oil and gas investments, boosting the country’s appeal to foreign investors.
These reforms are part of a broader set of policy initiatives, known as Policy Directives 40-42, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directives reflect the administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable development in the energy sector and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global oil and gas market.
By Yemie Adeoye
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu has announced that the protracted ExxonMobil-Seplat upstream oil divestment will be formally approved by the Minister of petroleum within a matter of days, just as he announced his government’s intention to expand the Compress natural Gas, CNG buses initiative.
The President who stated this during his Independence day nationwide broadcast stated that the move is in line with his administration’s commitment to free enterprise, free entry and free exit in investments which is the hallmark of his administration investment policy.
“Fellow compatriots, our administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was done in the same manner as other qualified divestments approved in the sector.”
The President also seized the opportunity to plead with Nigerians to be patient with his administration’s reform policies. “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion. Our economy can only thrive when there is peace”. he enthused.
As part of the administration’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed support for ExxonMobil’s plan to invest $10 billion in the country’s deep-water oil sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, during a meeting with ExxonMobil executives at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Shettima called the investment “a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investor-friendly policies.”
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This announcement follows news that international maritime company DP World intends to develop a multibillion-dollar port project in Nigeria.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, shared the development in a statement on Wednesday. He quoted Shettima as saying: “ExxonMobil’s potential investment aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for a more investment-friendly Nigeria.
We are committed to fostering an environment that supports such transformative projects.”Shettima also discussed the administration’s broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business, highlighting the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to simplify bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and offer fiscal incentives to attract global investors.
“Our administration has taken bold steps to unify the exchange rate, remove fuel subsidies, and implement tax reforms. These measures, though challenging in the short term, are intended to create a stable and predictable business environment in the long term,” he added.
On the oil and gas sector, Shettima mentioned that the government is revising the fiscal framework for deep-water operations to attract investment while ensuring fair returns for the Nigerian people.
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