Written by Davies Iheamnachor
The Rivers State government concluded and took ownership of the kidney swelling from Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.
That was while the government secured the execution of its interest in acquiring a 45 percent stake in the lease of the oil mines, OML, 11 and Port Harcourt Island.
However, the SPDC rejected the state government’s claim that it had taken over the drive and interest of the oil giant for OML11, adding that the matter was still in court.
Kelvin Ebiri, special assistant to Governor Nyesom Wike for the media, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the Island, which the SPDC uses as its operational base in Port Harcourt, now belongs to the Rivers State government after a purchase certificate registered in the Land Register as No. 6 on page 6 in st. 46, Port Harcourt.
Ebiri noted that the purchase certificate was issued by order of the High Court of Rivers State on July 23, 2019 and September 25, 2019 after the purchase of the facility.
Meanwhile, SPDC spokesman Gbenga Odugbesan said in a statement regarding the government’s position that the state government’s move was premature.
Usugbesan said: “Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has rejected the alleged takeover of Kidney Island’s SPDC joint venture property in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State government in the exercise of rights allegedly acquired through a court auction. is still the subject of ongoing appeals to the Port Harcourt Court of Appeals.
“Any alleged exercise of the rights allegedly acquired by this proceeding, including any attempt to take over or seal the property of Kidney Island or other SPDC JV property to satisfy claims in unresolved litigation, is premature and detrimental to ongoing court proceedings and therefore not recognized.
“According to the Nigerian Oil Law, any acquisition or allocation of a share in a license or lease requires the consent of the Minister of Petroleum. Such consent was not given in the case of an alleged acquisition by the Rivers State Government.
Vanguard News Nigeria