The Movement for Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) was established in 1990 and began campaigning for greater control over oil and gas resources on their land, for economic development, and autonomy over their affairs, (including cultural, religious and environmental matters). MOSOP's demands were summarised in their 1990 'Ogoni Bill of Rights', which were mostly of a political nature and addressed to the Nigerian Government. By November 1992, MOSOP was also demanding US$6 billion in royalties from past oil production and US$4 billion for alleged environmental damage, and SPDC was given 30 days to accept or leave Ogoni land. SPDC stopped production in Ogoni land and withdrew from the area in 1993 after violence against our staff and action targeting our facilities. Violence in Ogoni land continued, and in May 1994 four prominent Ogoni leaders were murdered by a mob. Ken Saro-Wiwa (President of MOSOP) and eight others were accused of complicity in the murders, tried by military tribunal in 1995, found guilty and executed. (Read more) SPDC has produced no oil or gas from Ogoni fields since 1993, although Ogoni land continues to serve as a transit route for pipelines transporting both SPDC and third-party oil production from other areas. SPDC has publicly called for calling for reconciliation among Ogonis and between the Ogonis and SPDC and continues its SPDC’s community development programme in the area despite the fact it is no longer an oil producing area. It also offered to clean up oil spills that had occurred in the area since it left, regardless of their cause. SPDC agrees that, in the past, not enough oil revenue has been returned to the oil producing areas for developmental purposes. SPDC and other Shell companies in Nigeria pay tax and royalties each year into the federal budget. The government then decides how to spend and distribute this money among the states. The division of revenues is the subject of intense political discussion. SPDC has made its views known and contributed to debates aimed at improving governance of the allocation of oil revenue to oil-producing communities, which includes the Ogonis. Shell initiated and was a leading sponsor of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, which openly publishes payments made to the government by the energy industry and the allocation of money to states by the federal government. We are keen that oil producing state governments adopt similar initiatives. SPDC supports the government-initiated reconciliation process in Ogoni land. The government agreed to commission an environmental study from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which expects to start work in the middle of this year and complete the study next year. It is a scientific survey that will establish the environmental status of Ogoni land. Shell is funding this study and hopes it will provide the basis for a proper cleanup of the environment. SPDC is committed to cleaning up oil spills irrespective of the cause. In June 2008, the Nigerian government announced it would replace SPDC with another operator (possibly the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) in Ogoni land as the best solution to end the “stalemate” between SPDC and the community. SPDC is ready to accept the appointment of any of the partners in the Joint Venture (JV) as operator of the licence in accordance with the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) and will cooperate with the government on the proposed plan to transfer operatorship.
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