The management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is on the hot seat, as the Rivers State House of Assembly has vowed to unravel circumstances surrounding SPDC’s decision to demolish 800 buildings.
This followed the failure of Shell to honour the invitation to it by members of the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petition.
The committee chairman and member representing Ogu/Bolo at the State Assembly, Evans Bipi, had presented a committee report on threats by Shell to demolish over 800 houses in Umuebulu community of Etche Local Government Area of the state through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development without completing the payment of compensation earlier agreed upon to property owners.
Bipi, who is also the Chief Whip of the House, said Shell should pay for all the properties earmarked for demolition before it would embark on the exercise.
He notified the House that the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Tammy Danagogo, had intervened in this matter while he was serving as Commissioner for Housing and Physical Planning in 2015/2016, and an agreement was reached at the time, for full compensation to landlords that would be affected before their properties could be demolished, but regretted that SPDC, instead of sticking to the terms of agreement, had gone back to the ministry seeking shortcuts.
He insisted that the state will not fold its arms and watch the investments, and hard work of Rivers people go to waste. Stressing that lawmakers will ensure that SPDC does not go back on the agreement to pay compensation to owners of these properties.
“The state government had intervened in the matter through the office of the SSG in 2015 and 2016, and the agreement for the compensation of all property owners reached, some Umuebule people were compensated then, but now, Shell want to use all its powers to do away with the rest of the people without compensating them.” he alleged.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ikwunyi Owaji-Ibani, commended the committee for the detailed report and warned SPDC to ensure it honours the House invitation to explain the reason for disobeying the invitation of the House.o summon the before the executive session for questioning over alleged plans to
