By Stellamaries Amuwa, Abuja
The Executive-Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Dr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, has stated that the Niger Delta has borne the brunt of environmental degradation and social injustices for decades.
He noted that such was a direct consequence of the oil exploration and production activities in the region.
The CISLAC boss made this known on behalf of the Civil Society Leaders at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Auwal called for a halt to sale of Shell’s shares in SPDC.
He said, “The planned divestment by Shell, without a comprehensive resolution of these long-standing issues, poses an unacceptable risk to the region’s ecological integrity and the well-being of its communities.
“I have the privilege of speaking on behalf of a coalition of civil society leaders, brought together by the concerted efforts of Social Action Nigeria, CISLAC, the Africa Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Stakeholder Democracy Network, Civil Rights Council (CRC), Praxis Academy, Transparency International Nigeria, Transition Monitoring Group ( TMG), policy Alert and several other Nigerian and international organisations.
“We are here to address a matter of profound urgency and significance—the proposed divestment of Shell from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in the Niger Delta.
“This divestment, which involves the transfer of Shell’s stakes to the Renaissance consortium, presents us with a critical moment that could shape the future of the Niger Delta and its people for generations to come”.
Our demands are clear and grounded in the principles of justice, sustainability, and community welfare: Immediate Suspension of the Divestment Process: We insist on pausing Shell’s divestment until there is a thorough review that addresses the environmental and social legacies of Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta.
