Why Rivers acquired Shell’s 45% OML 11 –Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said on Monday that the state government decided to acquire Shell Petroleum Development Company’s 45 per cent stake in Oil Mining Lease 11 because it was in the best interest of the people of the state.

Wike, who said this during a state broadcast at the Government House in Port Harcourt, explained that Rivers State had suffered the worst environmental degradation from oil-related operations, which had impeded development.

He recalled that a case concerning the control of the OML began since 2001 and was disposed of about 10 years later.

The governor added that the SPDC had appealed the outcome of the court rulings on the matter until it was finally dismissed in 2017.

In his address titled, ‘We will continue to advance the state’s interest, security and prosperity of all’, Wike explained that Ejama Ebubu community began the enforcement by domiciling the judgement in the State High Court and levying the execution on the SPDC’s moveable items.