The Rivers State
Government has called on communities in the State to protect pipelines and other oil installations in their domain.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Chieftaincy/Community Affairs, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter made the call at the commissioning of a project of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) under the Etche I Cluster Development Foundation of Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Umu Ogodo in the Etche local government area.
The permanent secretary who was represented by a director in the Ministry, Lady Irene C. Lumati, however, urged companies operating in the state to maintain a friendly environment with their host communities by keeping faith with their corporate social responsibilities.
He commended the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria for the projects and charged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the facilities.
Also speaking, Shell’s General Manager, Mr Igo Weli described the ceremony as a product of partnership between the company and the communities.
Weli who was represented by Edesiri Akpomudjere said the partnership between the company and the Cluster Development Board would continue to yield results for the benefit of the people.
He urged the people to protect the company’s facilities in their area and assured of more projects for the area.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Etche I Cluster Development Foundation, Mr. Stanley Amaechi has called on Shell to increase its yearly funding to the foundation from the current N131 million to N200 million.
In an interview with newsmen, Amaechi said that increase in the funding of the foundation was necessary to enable all the communities benefit from the foundation.
He said that all the projects commissioned were based on the needs of the people of the seven affected communities, stressing that the GMoU which was signed in 2013 was for a period of five years.
