Shell’s great escape from Nigeria

“After decades of plundering the Niger Delta, Shell wants to tiptoe out the back door, leaving behind a trail of devastation and despair”

Posted by John Donovan: 15 April 2024

In a move that could rival a circus act, Shell is attempting to pass off its Niger Delta business like a hot potato, but not without ruffling a few feathers. A coalition of 40 civil society organizations, led by the one and only Amnesty International, is sounding the alarm bells, demanding that the Nigerian government slam the brakes on this reckless sell-off unless some serious human rights protections are thrown into the mix.

The proposed sale of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to Renaissance Africa Energy has raised more eyebrows than a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat. With the ink barely dry on the deal, concerns about the potential fallout are already swirling faster than a tornado in a teacup.

“After decades of plundering the Niger Delta, Shell wants to tiptoe out the back door, leaving behind a trail of devastation and despair,” remarked Olanrewaju Suraju, chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), with a hint of exasperation.

And if that wasn’t enough to make you shake your head in disbelief, Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, chimed in, warning that Shell’s hasty exit could leave the region in even deeper turmoil. “There’s a real risk that Shell will make off like a bandit, leaving the people of the Niger Delta high and dry, with no one to clean up their mess,” he quipped, dripping with sarcasm.

But wait, there’s more! The letter from civil society groups highlights a laundry list of concerns that make Shell’s sell-off look more like a dodgy flea market deal than a legitimate business transaction. From the lack of an environmental impact assessment to the absence of funds for cleanup, it seems Shell’s idea of corporate responsibility is about as sturdy as a house of cards in a hurricane.

And let’s not forget the cautionary tale of past divestments in Nigeria, where buyers have come and gone like ships in the night, leaving behind a wake of broken promises and shattered dreams. It’s a classic case of history repeating itself, with Shell playing the role of the absentee landlord in a never-ending saga of exploitation and neglect.

So, as the Nigerian government ponders whether to greenlight Shell’s great escape, one thing’s for sure: the circus may be leaving town, but the cleanup crew is nowhere in sight. And as for Shell, well, they’ll just slink away into the sunset, leaving behind a legacy of greed and indifference that would make even the most hardened cynic say, “What the shell?”

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