Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that no individual would be allowed to compromise the peace of the state.

He stated that his administration would always take steps to promote peace in the state through key interventions in crisis-prone areas.

He spoke, yesterday, during a meeting between Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Mgbuesilaru community of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

“My interest is peace in my state. Whatever will bring peace, that is where we will stand. Whoever is causing problems, the state will take it up with that person,” he said.

The governor said in Kula community that he has no business with SPDC operating in the area, outside the fact that the Federal Government has renewed their licence and an enabling environment must be created for them to function.

“Like I have told  the Kula community, I have no business about Shell operating. But, if the Federal Government has given Shell the licence, I have a duty to make sure that Shell operates.

“If they did not give Shell and they give the licence to another person, I have a duty to protect that person. I have no business with Shell. Mine is to do the right thing and to provide the enabling environment.

“Let nobody claim that he has contact in Abuja or elsewhere. I will not shy away from my responsibility to do the right thing.”

Wike said he took oath of office to make majority of Rivers people happy, protect lives and property and develop the state.

“There is no single individual I cannot protect. Whether you are PDP, AAC or APC, it’s my duty to protect you. Where things go wrong, I must come in,” he said.

On the Mgbuesilaru conflict, Governor Wike said he invited the community leaders and SPDC officials to discuss the issues and resolve the dispute.

“Before I became governor, I do know that there was a problem at Mgbuesilaru community. I learnt that an agreement was to be signed and there was a fracas.”

Eze Oha Okporo Okwurusi Clan, Eze Morgan Nwenenda Amadi, said the Mgbuesilaru community and Shell had an issue of outstanding rent, which led to a legal dispute that got to the Supreme Court.

He said he was invited as a mediator and eventually worked for an out-of-court settlement between Shell and the community.

He said rather than work with the genuine representatives of the community, Shell politicised the issue and thereafter refused to sign the agreement. He said an attempt to sign the agreement ended in mayhem.

Amadi said on June 13, 2019, the community requested the Obio-Akpor council to intervene. He said Shell failed to turn up on June 18, 2019 when the community signed the out-of-court settlement.

Eze Amadi urged Wike to prevail on SPDC to honour the out-of-court settlement and pay the community rent, which is in arrears of 23 years .

SPDC External Affairs General Manager, Igo Weli, said the only interest of the company is to do what is right.

He said the company is committed to the peaceful settlement of the issue.