On Saturday, the people of Bille Kingdom in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers Sate shutdown Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) oil facility called Awoba (Bille 2) Oil Field.
Their grievances arose out of Shell’s failure to involve the Kingdom in the ongoing processes of selling the facility to new investors.
Bille Kingdom has written to the management of Shell indicating her interest to bid alongside other investors, being the owners of the site where the Oil Field (Awoba I) is located but was flagrantly ignored by Shell.
The peaceful shutdown exercise carried out by several groups comprising the Bille Kingdom Chiefs’ Council (BKCC), Community Development Committee (BKCDC), Bille Youths Federation (BYF), Bille Women Forum (BWF) amongst others was led by the Chairman of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief 0. B. Akinda.
Addressing journalists shortly after the exercise, the Kingdom’s spokesperson, Chief D. T. Temebo (Onyo II), lauded the groups for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves while the action lasted. He appealed to them to continue to remain calm as the Council opens various negotiation channels to resolving the issue with SPDC and Government. Also, he used the occasion to commend the Security Agency (Joint Task Force) for maintaining the peace in the Kingdom.
Chief Temebo emphasized that any sale of Awoba (Bille 2) Oil Field and or other facilities in Bille’s territory without her being part of the equity arrangement(s) would not be accepted’, as she has both the financial and technical capabilities.
