Youths from Nembe Communities in Bayelsa have shut down two flow stations accounting for about 600,000 barrels of oil per day equivalent within OML 29 to protest the divestment of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) from the field.

Some of the placards wielded by the protesters read: “Sale of our wealth by shell is theft against mankind”, “We are angry, will no longer take it”, “Enough of neglect and inhumanity”, “Nembe people reject sale of oil field”.

The youths were reportedly compelled to embark on the protest following several attempts to get the oil firms involved in the deal to factor in the interest of the host communities.

Michael Williams told our correspondent on Friday that the youths had stormed the oil field in more than 20 speedboats and boarded the facility and eventually shut it down without any resistance by the armed security deployed to safeguard the facility.

He said that the youths had forced oil workers operating the facility to safely shut down the facility to avert any accident or damage to the installation.

It will be recalled that Shell in March 2015 sold off its equity stake in OML for $1.7 billion to Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production.

Security Sources contacted for comments claimed to be ignorant of the incident but ASP Asinim Butwat said that an official in the oil field confirmed the development to him.

“Checks at Nembe Division showed that the matter was not yet reported to the DPO, but a source in the facility confirmed the incident and said that it is being sorted out,” Butswat said.

Nembe communities in Bayelsa and Shell held divergent views on outstanding oil spill compensation and environmental damages as the oil firms plans to divest its assets in the area.

The Chairman of the Nembe Oil‎ and Gas Committee, Chief Nengi James, after a meeting with officials of the SPDC at the Nembe 1 flow station, told the media that the protest was a warning signal to the management of the SPDC to review their policy and honour existing agreements with the communities.

According to him, “‎The protest and the shutdown of the two flow stations were due to the failure of the SPDC to respect the host communities.

“The sale of Nembe oil field is clandestine and criminal in nature because we had earlier sent letters to all the authorities concern, yet we did not receive any feedback.

“It is based on that we were mandated by the community to shut down all oil facilities as a warning signal to see if they will come for dialogue.

“We have directed them to come for a meeting with our monarch where all interest groups in the community will be represented.

“We are particularly concerned about the GMoU where most of the projects like the Independent Power Plant, IPP, water and others have been abandoned.

“We cannot sit and watch while the future of our younger generations is been mortgaged. We are therefore calling on the incoming administration of President Mohammed Buhari to revisit the sale of OML 29.”

The Nembe Youths President, Comrade Jonathan Omungo said: “We have shut down Nembe 1 and 2 oil fields and other facilities related to oil production as directed by the community council of chiefs.

“Our protest is on the sale of OML 29 Nembe Creek oil field. As stakeholders and landlords, we are not are supposed to be part and parcel of the selling process.

“To our greatest displeasure and dismay, we were made to understand through the media that OML 29 has been sold out, yet we are not in the picture. There are on-going activities between the community and SPDC through the GMoU, like scholarships and other projects which have been abandoned.”

Efforts to get a reaction from Aiteo Exploration and Production the new owners of the asst were unsuccessful as they were yet to respond to an email request for comments.

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