Bring Back Shell To Warri, Stakeholders Tell Ibori, Uduaghan, Okowa

Stakeholders under the auspices of Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy [VATLAD], have called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and his predecessors in office, Chief James Ibori and Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan to play high level politics that would bring back Shell Petroleum Development Company [SPDC] administration and operations to Warri, the commercial hub of Delta State.

Arising from a critical stakeholders interactive session held at the Petroleum Training Institute [PTI], Shell block in Effurun, near Warri, they contended that the exit of Shell from Warri had grossly affected the socio-economy of the State and the well-being of the oil city.

They said that it has become necessary for high level politics to be played by the political leaders of Delta State to ensure that Shell relocates back to the city.

Convener of the meeting and National President of the group, Comrade [Engr] Emmanuel Odafe Igbini, said that Lagos State was dwarfing many States in terms of socio- economic development because of the lobby mechanism which its leaders had deployed over time.

“We must work with Delta State Government, play high level politics to lobby and get Shell to come back to Delta State fully, Igbini said.

He said that the meeting which was supposed to have Delta State government officials in attendance was called to chart the way forward for Shell’s relocation of its administrative and operational base to Warri as it used to be.

He further stressed that from his knowledge and politics of Oil and Gas, it is more economical and profitable for the Oil Companies to establish their administrative and operational bases closest to the Oil and Gas Fields, saying that Shell and other Multinational Oil Companies desire to have their administrative and operations bases in Warri, Port Harcourt, Eket and Yenegoa as it was in the beginning but for unfortunate and selfish pressure and influence being exerted on them by some influential persons.

The session also drew the attention of Nigerians to the fact that the relocation of the administrative and other operation offices of Shell from Warri to Lagos that is hundreds of Kilometers from Shell field Locations in Delta State is a gross violation of section 16 of the Nigerian Constitution which forbids the undue concentration of wealth and resources in a particular State.

The Stakeholders also stated that location of the headquarters of Shell and other Oil and Gas Companies in Lagos is inconsistent with the reason given by former President Olusegun Obasanjo for ordering the immediate relocation of the headquarters of Nigerian Maritime Agency (MMA) from Ship House, Abuja, to Lagos State since major sea ports are in Lagos State.

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The meeting which was attended by human right and good governance activists, lawyers, professionals from the oil and gas sector, as well as some PDP and other political parties faithfuls, also called on Governor Okowa to relax taxes for small and medium scale enterprises to encourage the industrial growth of the State.

“Small and medium scale industry should be given tax holiday” and major interested investors also be given tax holidays for five years, the Stakeholders added, expressing concerns that the few companies coming to the State are forced out with multiple taxation and undue harassment by youths who go around demanding ‘deve’ levies from developers.

Besides, the meeting called on socio-critics and activists in the Delta State to continue to hold government accountable to the people, saying however that rather than attack personalities they should dwell more on the issues that would help the growth and development of the State.

“We should try and disagree on issues and not on persons. Some peoples say I’m very controversial but it is not true. The point I’m making is that let us try to push Delta State forward without attacking persons”, Comrade Igbini said.