By Bright Agorehmi, Reporting
THE people of Ogale-Eleme Local Government Area have staged a peaceful solidarity protest as the Supreme Court deliberated on the ongoing dispute between Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, and their host community, Ogale.
Speaking to our correspondent, the Eleme Youth President, Comrade Walter Olaka, voiced his dissatisfaction with Shell’s repeated failure to take responsibility for the numerous oil spills caused by its operational failures.
Protesters.
He further described the suffering and damage inflicted on the community, explaining that the oil spills had robbed the people of a healthy environment.
Instead, it had led to severe environmental degradation, rendering the soil unfit for farming—the community’s primary source of livelihood.
He accused Shell of continuously evading responsibility by blaming third-party interference, despite a UNEP report concluding that the spills resulted from equipment failure.
The protesters
Also speaking, Barrister Johnson Ngochindo expressed the community’s displeasure with Shell’s approach.
However, he was relieved that the case was being heard outside Nigeria, believing that Ogale would finally receive the justice it deserved.
Mr. Ngochindo stated, “We are deeply saddened and unhappy about what Shell has done to us. But we are 100 per cent sure we will get justice since this case is not in a Nigerian court.
A protester with posters
“Nigeria’s legal system is so compromised that we cannot trust it, which is why we took our case to the UK.
“The average Ogale resident has faith in this process, and we are confident justice will be served.
“We pray that justice comes soon because our people are suffering.”
One of the instructive posters and banner
One of the community stakeholders, Mr. Michael George, expressed his gratitude to God, believing that after years of hardship, the community was finally on the path to justice.
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