Bayelsa State House of Assembly has summoned the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, (SPDC) to appear before it tomorrow over the allegation of neglect by one of its host communities.
Also to appear before the house is the state commissioner for Works and Transport over the diversion of 150 taxi cabs purchased by the immediate past administration for public use.
The invitation of SPDC to appear before the house followed a petition forwarded by the people of Agorogbene in the Sagbama local government area of the state accusing the oil company of insensitivity to the plight of its host communities.
The petitioners noted with sadness that the oil company which started exploration activity in their domain in 1961 had not done anything tangible to impact positively on the lives of the people of the area stressing lamenting that instead their farmlands have been devastated due to the activities of the multinational outfit in the area.
Deliberating on the petition, the House Committee on Oil and Gas recommended that the management of the SPDC should be invited to apear and defend itself.
On the invitation of the works and transport commissioner, the house was disturbed that the taxi cabs bought by the immediate past administration in the state to ease the transportation burden of Bayelsans have been converted to private use by the beneficiaries.
Vanguard investigation revealed that most of the taxi cabs were hijacked by former political office holders in the state and have been re-painted and used as luxury cars.
Sep182007