A coalition of non-novernmental organisations in Bayelsa State has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to uphold the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) rejection of Shell’s request to sell its remaining shares in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium.

The group during a protest rally in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital on Wednesday, stated that any approval of Shell and Total’s requests would weaken regulatory independence and ignore the interests of the Niger Delta communities.

Speaking to newsmen during the protest, Chairman of Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (BANGOF), Mr Taritien Boco, said if the federal government allowed the multinational oil companies to sell their assets, it would jeopardize the environmental and social well-being of the region for many generations to come, and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Boco, who led the protesters to the Yenagoa office of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), disclosed that while waiting for the state government to take action on the reports submitted by BSOEC, they come out to sensitize the public and get a message to the presidency, NUPRC and the National Assembly that the divestment processes should stop immediately.

According to him, they are doing this across the Niger Delta to pass their message to the National Assembly “and after we will know the next steps to take.”

Also speaking, the Resource Justice Manager for Social Development Integrated Center-Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, said approving Shell or TotalEnergies’ divestment in its current form without addressing the profound environmental and social costs would be a grave injustice to the people of Niger Delta.

He said the action could lead to significant unrest in the region, adding that it would be an affront to the generations of Niger Deltans who have fought and died for environmental justice.

He said: “Approving Shell’s SPDC would send a dangerous message to all Multinational corporations operating in Nigeria that they can extract our resources, leave devastation behind and walk away without consequences.

“This is not just a question of corporate accountability, it is about Nigeria’s sovereignty, dignity, and the right of it’s people to live in a clean and safe envenvironment.

“We hereby demand immediate halt of all divestment processes until a transparent, comprehensive and inclusive review is undertaken that addresses Shell’s and TotalEnergies historical environmental and social liabilities. Ensure inclusive and transparent consultation with state government and the people of the sites if oil and gas extraction in the Niger Delta before any further divestment of IOC assets.

“Hold Shell and TotalEnergies and other IOCs accountable for their past and ongoing environmental damage and ensure they fund a full clean up and remediation program across Niger Delta. Uphold the regulatory independence of NUPRC and allow it to fulfill it’s statutory duties without political interference.”

Comrade Morris Alagoa, who represented Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN)  said any buyer should ensure it is buying both the assets and liabilities, noting that oil-bearing communities had been crying of pending liabilities such as unclean and unpremeditated sites and pending legal cases as regards compensation.

He said: “We are here to deliver message to government of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not allow Shell and others for now to divest because we have seen what Oando is doing after Agip divested 100 percent to Oando.

“We have seen four major oil spill in the Ogboinbiri Enviroment and three of them were due to equipment failures. Old worn-out pipelines. And instead of clean up, Oando has carry-on with the culture of Agip of setting spill sites ablaze.”

Reacting to the protest, the Manager, Corporate Services and Administration in NUPRC, Dr. Prince Oshodi, said the commission would look at the NGOs’ grievances and address them appropriately.

He said the commission would take their complaints to the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer in Abuja, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, adding that its mandate is to protect the interests of Nigerians.