By Zik Gbemre

With more (investigated) revelations coming in as regards the subject matter, we are greatly appalled to find out that it is actually true that Shell (SPDC) is said to be the main brain behind the push for Belema Oil Ltd to buy over and operate the Ogoni oil fields. That means in the midst of all the ‘noise and controversies’ being made as a result of this, Belema Oil Ltd is just a ‘front’ of Shell (SPDC) put in place by the oil giant to protect its interests in Niger Delta of Ogoni land in Nigeria which have been shut down for over 22 years following the mass protest by the people and civil disturbance in the area (which led to the murder of human rights activist Ken Saro-wiwa and eight others), occasioned by the total neglect and injustice on the people by the Nigerian government and the Shell Petroleum Development Company-SPDC.

As had reported in our past write ups, Shell is said to have sold its oil blocks in Ogoni land to Belema Oil Ltd, and drilling is set to commence as the company has reached agreement with some community chiefs who are said to being used to collate signatures endorsing the sale of the oil and gas in Ogoniland.  Some top Shell officials are believed to, not only have strong links with the company, but are also the ones behind every of its moves in Ogoni land.

As we speak, Shell (SPDC) is using its usual deceptive strategy of “divide and rule” in Ogoni Land to actualize its objectives. At the moment, Shell is said to be the one behind Belema Oil Ltd that is buying and delivering cows and ‘gifts’ to selected locals and community Chiefs/leaders in Ogoni land. And in doing this, Shell is cleverly trying to boycott and bypass the educated class, elites and opinion leaders of Ogoni. In fact, right now, Shell is said to be using Belema Oil Ltd to instigate some of the Ogoni locals and Chiefs against the Ogoni elites – teaming them as “city-based” elites of Ogoni indigenes.

Shell seems to have forgotten that without the ‘active’ inputs, participation, contribution and being-carried-along of the Ogoni elites, educated class and opinion leaders, no oil company will succeed in operating any Ogoni oil field. Why should Shell want to bypass these educated (elites) relevant stakeholders of Ogoni people? Have they forgotten that it was the same educated class and elites like Ken Saro-wiwa that brought the ‘Ogoni Issue and Crises’ to lime light and international attention? So why boycott them with this deceptive strategy using Belema Oil Ltd as a front?

As we noted in one of our last write up, community sources revealed that that some Ogoni community leaders were recently flown to Lagos to hold secret meetings on the oil block sale and may have been compromised after which they received documents with which to collect signatures from the Ogoni people as consent to the sale of Ogoni Oil.

The same strategy they have been known for using in different parts of the Niger Delta region to cheat and defraud the locals from having ‘ample opportunities’ to become “partners” in owing and benefitting from their God-given resources, that is exactly what Shell is repeating again in Ogoni land.

For an oil company that has no known track record and history of operating any oil fields, one begins to wonder why Shell, with its enormous global repute in oil and gas E&P, should decide to use Belema Oil Ltd to operate in the very sensitive Ogoni land. More so, why all the haste in the divestment of the oil fields in Ogoni land without first addressing the accumulated years of environmental degradation and pressing issues affecting the Ogoni people. Why the hurry? It is obvious that those concerned are too much in hurry to divest the said oil bloc without first addressing the problems of the Ogoni host community or even carry all relevant stakeholders along in the entire process. It is as if the oil company, Belema Oil Ltd, is being forced down the throat of the Ogoni people.

Like we repeatedly said before, the elites and educated class and opinion leaders of Ogoni have detailed a breakdown of what they expect to drive any agreements to herald resumption of oil and gas activities in Ogoni. And we strongly believe that whichever oil company that wants to partake in the Shell Divestment in Ogoni OML 11, such company must carry these group of persons along.

Zik Gbemre, JP

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)

No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,

P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.

Tel:       +2348026428271

              +2348061524210

              +2348052106013

Website: www.ndpc-zik.org