| President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday waded into the crisis between Ogoni and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), that has resulted in the suspension of oil exploration in the area. Obasanjo, at the meeting, emphasised the need to ensure peace, harmony, reconciliation and sustainable development in the area. The meeting, which was also attended by the residential facilitator of the reconciliation in Ogoniland and representatives of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), also discussed environmental problems in the community as a result of oil exploration, and resolved that the body would assist in efforts to clean up the environment. It also discussed the relationship between the community and Shell, which had stopped oil exploration activities since the beginning of the Ogoni crisis. Minister of Environment and Housing, Helen Esuene, also attended the meeting. Shell had on Tuesday, appealed to leaders in K-Dere community, to allow its technical team properly secure two well-heads in Bomu, that has caused oil and gas leakages into the environment, which it said could ignite another fire that will be difficult to control, destroy the environment and harm people living in the area. The latest fire in Bomu brings to six, the number of such incidents in Ogoniland in less than a year, as fire had been previously reported in Yorla 13, Bomu 15, 12, and 6. Shell had in a statement appealed to leaders of the K- Dere community, to allow its technical team to secure the well-heads to prevent any danger to lives and property. |
Jan182007