Half N*ked women protest against Shell in Bayelsa! [PHOTO]

Hundreds of half-n*de women in Peremabiri
community in Bayelsa State, Niger Delta,
yesterday, staged a protest against non-
implementation of an existing agreement by Shell.
The women disrupted movement of workers into
the oil platforms and boat houses operated by
Shell in the area, alleging non-implementation of
the memorandum of understanding Shell entered
into with the community.
The protesting women tied red cloth to block the
entrance to the oil platform located within the
community.
They further alleged that Shell had failed to
redeem the two-year-old promise to replace a
faulty community generator, renovate existing
community school and provide potable water for
its host community.
Some of the women carried placards with various
inscriptions such as “Shell: Give us Light”,
“Implement MoU or go”, “We need water, Light,
School for our children” among others.
The protesters claimed that the oil firm had
adopted delay tactics to avoid providing the
amenities which they said were time-bound.
Reacting to the development, the spokesman for
Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC,
Precious Okolobo, urged the aggrieved women to
adopt the spelt-out channel of addressing their
grievances.
“The SPDC has continued to work with the
Peremabiri community on the implementation of
the MoU in their area. The MoU model has
provision for addressing grievances.”
On the broken down generator at Peremabiri,
Okolobo said SPDC procured a new set that is
being transported to the area for installation and
commissioning.
He said the set was twice the capacity of the bad
one, and would be commissioned as soon as
possible.
“The Bayelsa State Government and MoU Cluster
Development Board are aware of the situation and
are engaging the Community Development
Committee,” Okolobo said.
Nigeria is one of the world’s major oil producers,
but the oil- producing Niger Delta region remains
one of the country’s poorest and least developed
regions.