By Moses Patience Chat
Civil society groups in the country have asked the Federal Government to withdraw the operating licenses of Shell Companies in Nigeria over their poor human rights record and complicity in the ecological injustices from their onshore operations in the Niger Delta.
The civil society groups resolved to demand this during the 2nd Peoples Annual General Meeting (AGM) convened by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in Edo State.
This was revealed in a statement signed by the Convener of the meeting, Mr. David Ugolor of ANEEJ, and Mr. Legborsi Saro Pyagbara of the African Indigenous Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development (AIFES).
The Statement reads: “the President of Nigeria and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited should withdraw the operating license of Shell because of their complicity in the environmental and ecological injustices ranging from divestment from on-shore to off-shore leaving behind the problems it created in the Niger Delta weakened climate change commitment for short-term profit, and it’s poor human rights record in Nigeria.
“The Norwegian Oil Fund and other investors should follow the example of The Church of England which made a commitment to vote against all directors at the upcoming AGMs of Exxon Mobile, Occidental Petroleum, Shell, and Total Energies, in response to their failure to meet climate change objectives.”
The groups also noted that the energy transition plan of oil companies should be in compliance with Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Climate Change Act, reflecting the perspectives of communities affected by decades of fossil fuel extraction.
“We call on international financial institutions including African Development Bank, The World Bank and Export Credit agencies to discontinue financing fossil fuel projects in Nigeria.
“Oil companies including Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and their investors such as Blackrock, Vanguard, Legal and General Investment management, should take responsibility for loss and damage in the Niger Delta as recommended during COP27,” the statement further read.
The Paris Agreement is a legal binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016.
ANEEJ also urged the Federal government, particularly the incoming administration to demonstrate political will that will end gas flaring in Nigeria.