As much as this may offend some of my Ogoni friends, it is important that our people are not deceived by a desperate extractive system that is just about political gains. The whole noise about the Ogoni clean up and the coming flag-off is pure deceit of the FG amplified by some Ogoni stakeholders who perhaps are unable to read the UNEP Report through crystal ball.
Who will fund the clean up & where is the money? Shell is divesting it’s onshore assets and investing in offshore and deepwater projects. The incentives of offshore and deepwater PSCs are too good to ignore. Meanwhile, Shell posted the lowest income in 13 years in 2015, according to Reuters, with income falling 87 percent from the previous year to $1.94 billion.
Just a few weeks ago, the FG was begging Shell not go ahead with the planned sack of about 10,000 Nigerian staff and contractors. Shell has not responded. Can the FG afford to push Shell, when it is owing billions of dollars in cash call? OML 11 is not a PSC, it is a JV, meaning that the FG is also liable and therefore must contribute about 50% of the $1b clean up fund. The FG is broke.
Meanwhile the OPTS will continue to manipulate the process with their strong influence, asserting their weight on the weak structure of the plan and process. The FG on it’s part will soon commence it’s rigmarole when it’s time for funding. So far, even the $10m contribution to made to kickstart the project is still being awaited. Meanwhile, FG (JV partner of Shell) has decided- despite good counsel – to leave HYPREP under the ministry of petroleum.
I hear the president will flag-off the Ogoni clean-up on June 2, 2015. I am wondering how the cleanup will commence when HYPREP staff are all at home, and have not paid for a full year.
Use you tongue to count your teeth. Don’t let them fool you.
Written by Ross Alabo-George
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