The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has been described as the worst in terms of community interface. This condescending attitude by the company has also been flagged as a threat to peace in the areas of its operations.

One of its host communities, Bonny Local Government Area came out with this position on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 when they shut down its operations for almost five hours.

Youths of the community under the aegis of the Bonny Youth Assembly (BYA) said the company has remained recalcitrant in engaging the community, especially, in the area of employment.

Bonny Island is host to Shell’s Bonny Crude Oil Terminal (BCOT) which is the largest crude oil terminal in
West Africa. 

Speaking to Kristina Reports, BYA Director of Manpower and Employment, Daniel Green said that “We have actually been interfacing with the companies but the Shell management is the worst. You invite them for meeting, they will not attend to you. You will write series of letters, they will not even attend to you.” 

Efforts by Kristina Reports to have the reaction of Shell’s Community Liaison Officer (CLO) in Bonny, Dr Increase Orawari proved abortive as he bluntly refused to answer to our enquiries.

Green further stated that “we don’t wake up as leaders and block gate. We are reasonable, Bonny people are reasonable people and we are peace-loving people. But one thing I continue saying is that multinationals should not take Bonny people for granted because of their peaceful nature”.

“There was a case of one of our sons that was sacked and a non-indigene brought in to do one seafarer’ job like that. We talked to them for about six months they have not even listened to us.”

“But upon that we have tried to make sure that we informed them that we are peaceful people we don’t want to come and block gate. And the way they talk to the Youth Leader of Bonny Kingdom on the phone, it is an insult to the youth.”

“That actually motivated us to say who does shell think they are? To come and let them know that this is our kingdom.”

The BYA Director of Manpower and Employment revealed that “there is a job going on in Shell (terminal) and we are not aware. There is even a shutdown job that is going on right now that they have started. I am not aware as Director of Manpower that represents the youths in employment. It is a slap to us.”