By Valentine Amanze, Lagos

June 15, 2015 

Leaders of Ijaw communities of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, will this week file an action at the Supreme Court to protest against the appellate court ruling, which struck out the $1.5 billion oil spillage and environmental degradation case against Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited.

They are also drafting a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) against some judges, “who were allegedly compromised and bought over by Shell.”

The group lamented that the judges were allegedly bought over by Shell to deliver a favourable judgement for them “despite the overwhelming and convincing evidences of death, oil spillages and environmental pollution,” which Shell’s activities in the land has brought to them. They further disclosed that they had forwarded a petition to the NJC to take actions against the concerned judges.

At a media briefing on the judgment Saturday in Abuja, the leader of the Ijaw communities and ex-presidential aspirant in the aborted Third Republic, Chief Pere Ajuwa, said that the Ijaw nation has been in a violence-free battle with Shell over death and other hazards the company has allegedly caused them.

He added that the matter has appeared before the two chambers of the National Assembly, which he said, ordered Shell to pay $1.5 billion to the 145 Ijaw communities in Bayelsa State.

Ajuwa lamented that rather than paying the stated amount to the Ijaw nation for irreplaceable damages done to them, Shell decided to use its money to pollute the Nigerian judiciary system, alleging that the Anglo-Dutch oil major bought over the Federal Court of Appeal judges to deliver the judgment that was to their favour.

Ajuwa said: “I have never seen a place where blood is shed and the law enforcement agencies will shut their eyes to it. Our people have kept their promise not to resort to violence. We have instructed our team of lawyers to proceed to the Supreme Court to challenge the appellate court judgment and by by next week, we will be in the apex court.

“This decision will not stand because we have already prepared our petition to the NJC to sanction those Shell judges. Nigerian judges have always been role models in countries like Uganda, Gambia and Sierra Leone. But just a few bad eggs in the system have allowed themselves to be used to upturn justice even in the face of convincing and overwhelming evidences.

“We have been in a battle with Shell Development Petroleum Company of Nigeria. When the Traditional Rulers Council of Bayelsa State invited me to handle the case, I gave them my conditions which included non-violence from any Ijaw group. In 2003, a commission of enquiry was called at the National Assembly and there has not been any single violence against Shell since that period till now.

“But in this process, we have been undermined even by certain agents of government and Shell. The commission of inquiry specified that 1,247 indigenes of Bayelsa State died due to Shell’s oil pollution. There was an unmitigated outpour of cholera and other water borne diseases. This figure was confirmed by both NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

“The National Assembly proclaimed that Shell was guilty of environmental degradation that led to death of people, Shell was asked to pay the 145 Ijaw communities in Bayelsa State the sum of $1.5 billon, but Shell went through the courts and said that the National Assembly cannot give a legislative judgment or award such amount of money to the Ijaw nation. When we went to the Federal High Court, it ruled in our favour, noting that if the two parties agree to submit themselves to a non judicial body, any decision taken by the body should stand. It therefore upheld that Shell should pay us the stated amount.

“But Shell took us to the Court of Appeal where they had their judges who struck out the decision of the lower court despite the convincing and overwhelming evidences of oil spillages, degradation and deaths which Shell activities in Bayelsa has brought to us. In striking out our case the Appeal Court said that we are abusing court process.”
www.dailyindependentnig.com/2015/06/shell-corrupting-nigerias-judiciary-ijaw-leaders/

barcanista:
Shell is the most inhuman and the most irresponsible corporate entity in the Niger Delta. They are the number one corporate enemy of Niger Deltans. The shameless judgement that they obtained from the kangaroo and biased judge at the court of appeal will not stand.



Cc Lalasticlala Ishilove Seun

hassan85:
Ijaw community are very corrupt too. Its a fact. We only hear their voice when their is money to spend or when they feel cheated. All the amnesty money what have they been using it for?

barcanista:
Shell is the most inhuman and the most irresponsible corporate entity in the Niger Delta. They are the number one corporate enemy of Niger Deltans. The shameless judgement that they obtained from the kangaroo and biased judge at the court of appeal will not stand.



Cc Lalasticlala Ishilove Seun

abduljabbar4:

They are very very corrupt. Why do you think the op is a protection seeker?

delishpot:
Even if shell gives compensation, the thieving chiefs will swallow it all like snakes swallow eggs. None will be used for tge good of the community.
Ehm.....Shell, biko do something na! Handle their environment well and reduce pollution in their land to the very best of human ability.

stop bursting pipe lines to bunker oil. You burst pipe lines, bunker oil and slink back into your creeks leaving oil to spill from the vandalized pipes into the environment and then, blame shell for the spillage. Respect ya selves o. Anyhoe Buhari has promised to make Nigeria better. Waiting.......

hassan85:
Ijaw community are very corrupt too. Its a fact. We only hear their voice when their is money to spend or when they feel cheated. All the amnesty money what have they been using it for?

MzJackBaueress:
I was waiting for you to blame this on President Muhammadu Buhari lemme pounce on you this hot afternoon.

Oniranu!

abduljabbar4:

They are very very corrupt. Why do you think the op is a protection seeker?

delishpot:
Even if shell gives compensation, the thieving chiefs will swallow it all like snakes swallow eggs. None will be used for tge good of the community.
Ehm.....Shell, biko do something na! Handle their environment well and reduce pollution in their land to the very best of human ability.
Where are the Naija delta rats? stop bursting pipe lines to bunker oil. You burst pipe lines, bunker oil and slink back into your creeks leaving oil to spill from the vandalized pipes into the environment and then, blame shell for the spillage. Respect ya selves o. Anyhoe Buhari has promised to make Nigeria better. Waiting.......

OREMUSSANCTUS:

Get a husband dear
Datz wad u nid
Not misbehaving on NL


Lalasticlala and ishilove take note, I no insult am

barcanista:
Shell is the most inhuman and the most irresponsible corporate entity in the Niger Delta. They are the number one corporate enemy of Niger Deltans. The shameless judgement that they obtained from the kangaroo and biased judge at the court of appeal will not stand.



Cc Lalasticlala Ishilove Seun

barcanista:
That we are following legal process should not be interpreted as being foolish. If bunkering persists other region will suffer economically. A wise fellow will explore peace and justice. Be a wise fellow!

barcanista:
It is your own community that isn't corrupt. Please I don't want this thread to be an Ijaw bashing thread. Our people are being oppressed by the criminals in suits that calls themselves shell. This is a community fight and not the fight for some of our irresponsible politicians. You have no idea of what is going on. Our people are in court because we believe in legal process rather than take laws into our hands. No matter how long it takes, Shell shall be defeated in this fight.

delishpot:


And I said anything aginst the good ordinary people of Ijaw land or what is your point?

nke001:
Those guys and their fellow cankarworms 9ja politicians are the ones hoarding the PIB for being passed, destroying the ND for their own gain, etc..

Thank goodness that our youths chased them off our boundaries.

doublewisdom:

Who be dis?

doublewisdom:

My brother , Shell no dey try but what about our communities leaders? Many of them so called leaders also receive bribes to give Oil companies a soft landing.
BTW, Wetin dem dey use GMoU millions do?

barcanista:
Those guys at shell along with politicians and some treacherous locals are the cancers ofthe Niger Delta region. I'm not surprised that they bought judgement for themselves.

Btw: the PIB has been tampered with by the criminal House of Representative

hassan85:
Rubish. How about BH? not criminals inflitrating the north ryt? U blame it on PMB and APC now u want sympathy. See Barcanista u knw it, i knw it. Ijaw nation are problem of themselves. Just tell me why non of them have EVER go to suprime court to help stop vandalism of pipe line. Thiefs and corruptions.

barcanista:
It is your own community that isn't corrupt. Please I don't want this thread to be an Ijaw bashing thread. Our people are being oppressed by the criminals in suits that calls themselves shell. This is a community fight and not the fight for some of our irresponsible politicians. You have no idea of what is going on. Our people are in court because we believe in legal process rather than take laws into our hands. No matter how long it takes, Shell shall be defeated in this fight.

. . . . . . . .minion, a month ago an Ijaw man was the ruler of the manor, what was his position on the shell issue? . . . . . . . . . . .a month ago, an ijaw woman was the most powerful woman in the country, what was her position on the shell issue? . . . . . . . . . . . . .the lord of thunder and fire (Asari) is ijaw, what is his position on the shell issue? . . . . . . . . . . . . .goon, Edwin Clark rode the corridors of power like a hailstorm, what was his position on this issue? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .imp, you are ijaw . . . . . . . .how many threads have you opened so far this year that are related to Buhari as against the ones you have opened on this shell issue? . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

delishpot:


And I said anything aginst the good ordinary people of Ijaw land or what is your point?

NB Ordinary here means the common man o. Brcause e nor dey tey you read comments and turn talk upside down.