Nigeria: Indigenes sue oil companies

  1. Posted on Thursday 19 February 2009 - 11:52
    Emeruwa
    Image of Emeruwa
    Victor Emeruwa, AfricaNews reporter in Abuja, Nigeria
    Eight oil communities have instituted a law suit against Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Agip and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation for what it called gross injustice and unfairness to the host communities.
    Shell_Refueller.JPG
    “Shell since 1996 promised to stop gas flaring in 2008, but the action has continued, we are saying these acts are not acceptable even in the countries where these companies come from, so it cannot be acceptable here. The world is going green and the message of global warming is heating up in global agenda, Shell and other companies should be sensitive to the life of people more than gain” said Imure Ehkiadolu, a representative of right action initiative in Abuja.

    Nigeria’s minister of Petroleum, Lukman Rilwan has been urged to pressurize the oil companies to stop the gas flaring and create technology that will convert the gas into good use, saying Nigeria losses about $2billion annually on gas flaring.

    Nigeria currently constitutes 19.79% of global gas flaring since 2001, the latest year for which figures are available, more than the two countries with the next highest flaring rates - Iran and Indonesia - combined. Gas flaring emits toxic substances, including benzene and its particles, which expose the communities to health and environmental problems, the communities charge.

    Meanwhile, reports from the Shell Magazine, indicates that over the last five years, Shell said, an investment of over US$2 billion has gone into developing major associated gas gathering projects to collect gas from Shell oil fields across the Niger Delta and supply such gas to Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas and to the National Electric Power Authority for power generation. The company also has its eye on export of gas from Nigerian fields to Europe and other international markets.

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