I do not accept that SPDC or Shell has failed to take adequate measures to address social impacts. SPDC does take social impacts of its operations into account and looks for ways for communities to benefit, in support of the government which, as in any country, carries the main responsibility for the development of its people. Last year Shell contributed about $84 million to community programmes. When you add in the contributions of the partners in the joint venture, that community investment was more than $240 million. This is the largest single investment in communities that a Shell company makes anywhere in the world and is a reflection of the needs of the Niger Delta people. The funds are spent on education, health and capacity building activities as well as provision of infrastructure such as water and roads. An example short time ago I had the pleasure in receiving an international award in USA for an AIDS programme SPDC have been running in partnership with the NGO Family Health International. There are many difficult challenges trying to improve people’s lives in the Niger Delta and it would be wrong to pretend otherwise. What SPDC is doing is support the government and other parts of civil society to make a difference. We all need to work together and we would be very pleased if Amnesty International and others were to join us in this effort. SPDC is also concerned about the environmental impact of oil spills and the impact on communities. However, the overwhelming majority of oil pollution in the Niger Delta is sadly caused by sabotage. Most is caused by heavily armed gangs who illegally tap into the pipelines to steal large quantities of crude oil. They spill oil, cause widespread environmental damage, impact the lives of affected communities and leave us to clean up the spills. It is sometimes risky or impossible to send our oil spill response team to stop the leaks immediately because the areas are controlled by these gangs. Some armed, militant groups blow up pipelines and other facilities to stop oil production and draw attention to conditions in the Niger Delta. Last year, 10 explosive attacks on pipelines alone spilled 40,000 barrels - more than 70% of the total oil spilled during the year. Altogether 85% of the volume of oil spilled was from sabotage and criminal activity. I know Amnesty International and others cast doubt on these figures - but these are the facts. Whatever the cause, SPDC is committed to stopping all leaks as fast as possible and cleaning up all spill sites. Assessment of spills and clean-up is always done in conjunction with communities and government authorities using community contractor companies where possible. SPDC is the only operating company in the Niger Delta to regularly report on a range of data including number and volume of oil spills and progress on cleaning up past impacted sites. See our Briefing Notes for more information. The problems of the Niger Delta are many and complex and we will work alongside anyone who can help us contribute to solving them. I hope we can - it’s my homeland.
Mutiu Sunmonu
Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company
| 
