EU to Assist N’Delta with N59bn – Shell
07.09.2008
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has said that about N59.2 billion is being expected from the European Union for the development of the Niger Delta region.
The company made the announcement yesterday in Warri at the signing of a sub-contract agreement between Dorman Long Engineering Limited and Decsalfa Limited.
Mr Ubaka Emelumadu, the Social Performance and Community Affairs Director of SPDC, said in a statement that the EU wanted to be convinced that the funds would be managed by a credible agency before releasing it.
He urged the communities in the region to form themselves into registered foundations to be eligible to access the funds.
Emelumadu said the foundations would inspire the donors' confidence that the funds would be judiciously utilised by the beneficiary communities.
He likened the situation to the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) which the SPDC had in its Eastern operations.
The director explained that under the GMOU, communities formed trustees which were positioned for funding from their state/local governments and international donors.
He explained that the contract signing ceremony was aimed at bringing together the Shell contractor and the firm from Amatu 1 Community to restore the mutual trust and confidence that existed between the parties.
Emelumadu said Shell had created ``Community Content Team,'' as an aspect of the Nigerian Content Initiative, aimed at building contracting capacity for big projects in the region.
He said the initiative would support communities to set up companies if need be, adding: ``
The community content is looking at things that can happen."
The statement quoted the Chairman of Decsalfa, Chief Decca Keredei, as commending Shell for initiating the process for economic capacity building in his domain.
He described the ceremony as the beginning of a journey to make members of the host communities part of the oil and gas business.
Keredei advised Shell to be transparent and open to the local people by giving them opportunities to make their own contributions.
He noted that the people had a lot to contribute to the development of the area.
