Crisis is looming in Rivers State over the controversial movement of Logistic Base, a subsidiary of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO, from Rivers State to Lagos as teeming protesters gearing to invade the SNEPCO base at the Onne Free Trade Zone over the matter were stopped.
A major crisis was averted on Wednesday when ex-Militant Warlord, now HRM King Ateke Tom, Amanyanabo of Okochiri, Okirika local government area of the state and men of the Department of State Security Services, DSS halted the protesters.
The youths fear that over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in Rivers could be lost if SNEPCO relocates from the state, but Shell maintains that SNEPCO, operator of Shell’s deep offshore Bonga Field, was not relocating but rather developing alternative base in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is to meet with Shell to broker a truce which would involve management of the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, whose Onne Port in Rivers, the SNEPCO Logistic base has been operating for over 20 years and youths of the locality, who are spoiling for war should the vexed Shell move materializes.
