‘Shell fails to meet €1bn Nigeria oil clean-up fund commitments’

Shell and the Nigerian government are failing to meet joint commitments to clean up oil spillages in the Nigerian delta, BNR radio reports on Monday.


The broadcaster says Shell and the government pledged to put a billion dollars into a special clean-up fund but so far not one cent has been contributed.
A United Nations report last year was highly critical of the role of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant in the region, leading to the setting up of the fund.
But nothing has so far happened, UN environmental disaster expert Henrik Slotte told the broadcaster. ‘My understanding is the fund does not exist. The oil industry and government are still discussing how to share the responsibility,´ he said.
Talks
Shell’s number two in Nigeria, Tony Attah, told BNR Shell is continuing to clean up pollution in some areas and says talks are still under way with the Nigerian government to establish the fund. The Nigerian authorities are Shell´s biggest partner in the joint venture in the region.
The situation is unacceptable, Labour parliamentarian Jan Vos told BNR radio. ‘Shell… as a company is full of talk about socially responsible business but then it transpires the company is not meeting international agreements.’
Vos is planning to raise the issue with development and trade minister Lilianne Plouman.

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