Host communities of Shell operated Oil Mining Lease (OML)-25, in Belema community of Kula Kingdom, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State have reached a fresh term of re-entry to the oilfield after seven years of shutdown.
Some of the terms of settlement reached according to the Spokesman of the communities, High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe include the signing of the Procurement Order (PO), by Shell.
The communities also maintained that Shell must provide social amenities such as healthcare facilities to the host communities, as well as make provision for jobs, human capital development scheme for indigenes, as top priority.
Also at the meeting were regulatory bodies, chiefs and elders of the communities, youths, representatives of the state government, among others, in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The HOSCOMs expressed their enthusiasm to embrace reopening of the facility which has been dormant for over seven years, noting that the governments, NNPC and the communities have lost a huge sum of resources from the shutdown.
Shedding more light on the outcome of the meeting, Sara-Igbe said, “Today’s meeting is between Shell, the regulatory authority, the youths, the State Government, and the communities, who are Kula, Belema, Ofonyama, Keze, and their Satellites communities.”
