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Shell gets 21 days to pay ‘$14m debt’ or have their facilities shut down

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Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited has been given 21 days to pay an alleged debt of $14 million or have their facilities shut down.

The 21-day ultimatum was handed to the oil company by 12 oil producing communities in Bayelsa State.

The communities under the aegis of Iduwini, Mein, Kou, and Bassan Cluster Development Boards, equally urged the oil company to review its annual development funding to the board from $1 million to $10 million.

They made the threat at a press conference in Yenagoa on Wednesday, explaining that the $14m debt was for sea anchorage for vessels deployed by Shell.

READ ALSO: Trouble looms between Delta community, oil firm in OML 40

According to Wuka Brisibe, who is the chairman of the Ekeni Community Development (CDC), one of the 12 communities, the $14 million debt was accumulated from 2006 till date.

Maintaining that Shell has three weeks to pay the debt, Brisibe vowed that the communities would occupy the oil company’s oilfield in protest if the debt was not paid.

“The sum of $1 million irregularly paid to the four CDBs covering the 12 host communities of the E.A. fields as the GMoU funds is inadequate,” he added.

The communities are located in the Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw areas of Bayelsa State.

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