Amnesty Int’l: Shell Must Address Oil Pollution in N’Delta Before Selling Assets

Wale Igbintade

Amnesty International (AI) has urged the Nigerian government to require Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) to provide a full assessment of existing pollution and the current state of its infrastructure before sale of its onshore oil business in Nigeria

Reacting to Shell’s sale of its onshore oil business in Nigeria for up to $2.4 billion, Mark Dummett, Amnesty International’s Head of Business and Human Rights, said that for decades oil spills had damaged the health and livelihoods of many inhabitants of the Niger Delta.”

In a  statement issued by the Media and Communications Assistant, Michael Christian, he stated that Shell had earned billions of dollars from its business in Nigeria and must make sure that its withdrawal does not have negative human rights and environmental consequences.

 “Shell has earned billions of dollars from this business and it must make sure that its withdrawal does not have negative human rights and environmental consequences. We are calling for effective remedy for people whose rights have long been abused.

“Shell should not be allowed to wash its hands of the problems and leave, and we urge the Nigerian government to require Shell to provide a full assessment of existing pollution and the current state of its infrastructure. This information needs to be shared with affected communities.

“Nigeria’s government must ensure local inhabitants’ concerns about the sale are fully appraised and addressed, and uphold and protect the human rights of its citizens, including their rights to an adequate standard of living, clean water and health,”  the statement said.

Shell had agreed to sell its Nigerian onshore oil business to a consortium of local companies for more than $1.3 billion, a historic shift in a crucial yet controversial part of the energy giant’s global operations.

The deal would fulfil Shell’s long-term goal of extracting itself from a challenging operating environment in the Niger Delta.