Wike bows to pressure from FG, unseals Shell proper in Kidney Island, Port Harcourt

BY IBRAHIM BAKARE

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, directed the unsealing of the kidney Island property operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company,SPDC, with joint Venture with Nigeria National Petroleum Company,that initially taken over by State Government.

In a press Statement signed by Kelvin Ebiri Special Assistant (Media) to the Governor said that after a meeting with the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari  in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Wike directed the immediate reopening of Kidney Island in Port Harcourt for the operators.

Governor Nyesom Wike

Mr Kyari commended Governor Wike and the Government of Rivers State for their cooperation, while further discussion to resolve the underlying issues continue.

It would be recalled the a government delegation let by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Zacheus Adangor, SAN, had sealed the property citing Court Judgement which was allegedly in favour of the State Government.
However, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) had dismissed the purported takeover of Kidney Island asset of the SPDC Joint Venture in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Government in the exercise of rights purportedly acquired through a court auction process that is still the subject of ongoing appeals at the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt.

According to SPDC, any purported exercise of rights allegedly acquired through that process including any attempt to take over Bamidele Odugbesa Media Relations Manager on December 23 had argued that the seal up the Kidney Island asset or other assets of the SPDC JV to satisfy claims in pending suits is premature and prejudicial to the ongoing court proceedings, and therefore not recognised.

SPDC said “Under the Nigerian Petroleum Act, any acquisition or assignment of interests in a licence or lease would require the consent of the Minister of Petroleum. No such consent has been given in the case of the purported acquisition by the Rivers State Government.
 In addition, the ruling of the Supreme Court on 27 November 2020 did not decide liability or the size of the award in the underlying suit of Chief Ogbara & Others Vs SPDC neither did the ruling affirm the purported sale of SPDC JV’s assets to the River State Government as being claimed by the state.
SPDC  pointed out that there’s is a pending litigation by SPDC in which the Federal High Court has issued an interim order restraining further enforcement of the underlying Agbara judgment pending the hearing of the motion on notice fixed for hearing on 14 January 2021
SPDC therefore calls on the Rivers State Government and those claiming interest in the SPDC Kidney Island asset to stay further action to allow the due process of the law as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
We remain of the view that until the pending appeals are heard and determined, any exercise of rights including any attempt to take over or seal up SPDC JV’s assets by the Rivers State Government is premature and unlawful.