Article Summary
- On May 10, the UK Supreme Court ruled in favor of Shell in the Bonga oil spill case.
- The judges ruled that there was no continuing nuisance in the case and the spill happened over a decade ago.
- NDDC needs to deliver on its mandate to improve the lives of Niger Deltans.
On Wednesday, May 10, the United Kingdom Supreme Court ruled in favor of Shell in the 2011 Bonga offshore oil spill which occurred in the Niger Delta region.
Bloomberg reports that the Bonga oil spill was said to be the largest spill in the region which caused an environmental catastrophe directly affecting the lives of people in the affected communities.
The timing was wrong
The judges decided that Shell could no longer be held responsible for spills that took place in 2011, 12 years ago. Although the spill impacted communities, the UK court ruled in favor of Shell because the period the spill happened, and the time of ruling was over a decade.
So, the company was no longer liable for the spill, which it claimed to have cleaned up without further impact on the affected communities.
Bonga spill was a one-off event
The Bonga oil spill was classified as a one-off event by the UK court. The spill occurred for six hours after which the company made efforts to clean up the affected area.
According to Judge Andrew Burrows, the leak was a one-off event, or an isolated escape and the oil pipe was no longer leaking after six hours. Also, Shell has said that while the 2011 Bonga spill was highly regrettable, it was swiftly contained and cleaned up offshore.
Local solutions must be prioritized
Communities in the Niger Delta region that have suffered loss from oil spills and environmental degradation have been vocal about the far-reaching effects of these losses they suffer.
While it is legal for communities to sue and seek compensation for the degradation of their environment, it is also important for stakeholders to prioritize local solutions, says Kayode Oluwadare, oil and gas analyst.
He told Nairametrics that the interventionist agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has a role to play in ensuring the Niger Delta region is protected and the people can revive their lands and water bodies if oil production activities hamper any of these.
What you should know
In December 2022, the former president of the Movement for the survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee spoke about the ineffectiveness of the NDDC. He said the NDDC is yet to achieve any purpose after it was set up to improve the lives of people in the region.
Mitee asked that the NDDC should stop the commissioning of projects that are not sustainable for the people in the region.
