Umuorie Isimiri Community of Ukwa West LGA of Abia State
DATE OF VISIT: 3 August 2010

Highlights
•    Shell yet to comply with court order asking it to pay compensation to community
•    Community people poisoned from Shell-constructed water borehole

INTRODUCTION
Umuorie Isimiri Community is located in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State. Umuorie Isimiri is an hour and 20 minutes drive from Umuahia, capital of Abia State. It is a community of about 5,000 people, made up of mostly farmers.
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Isimiri Flow Station in Umuorie Isimiri Community is by the Imo River at the boundary between Abia and Rivers State.
ERA monitor visited the community on 3 August 2010 to ascertain SPDC level of compliance with a court judgement delivered by Court of Appeal Owerri, Imo State ordering it to pay special damages of N1.49 billion to the community for oil spill and environmental degradation.
ERA monitor visited the flow station which has eight oil wells and a gas flare site. Monitor observed that the gas flare which, like the usual horizontal visible flares was constructed vertically to deceive and is close to the road near the Imo River and heavily guarded by mobile policemen.


•    Gas flaring in the community


•    Storage tank for borehole water that poisoned the community

TESTIMONY
Olu A. Coker, Legal Practitioner, Port Harcourt.
“…Shell came into the Umuorie Isimiri Community in 1962 but started operation between 1964 and 1966 but did nothing in the community until 1996 when it donated a borehole to the community. A year later the water changed colour and Shell was called to look into the situation.
Umuorie Isimiri community wrote to the company about the borehole and asked for a test to be conducted to know what was responsible for a colouration and taste that they observed because people were falling ill and dying. The incident was not linked with the water until Umuorie Isimiri people stopped using the water and the community noticed the change in complain of sickness and death in the community. Shell was asked to do test in their laboratory and an independent one was also done by the community and both the Shell and community test showed that the water was bad for consumption.
Shell was asked to fix the water but ignored the community. This is the case in court and we should be conscious of what is said of it. We would however appreciate if ERA assists us in asking why the case has stayed this long in court? Since 1999. The case is between Chief J O Kanu & others verse SPDC and I am not informed about the case at the Court of Appeal Owerri…”

ERA DEMANDS
•    Shell should comply with the judgement of the Court of Appeal Owerri, Imo State ordering it to pay special damages of N1.49 billion to the Umuorie Isimiri Community
•    The Federal Government should compel Shell to immediately halt gas flaring in  Umuorie Isimiri Community
•    The federal and state authorities should compel Shell to provide clean drinking water to the Umuorie Isimiri Community and compensate community folks that fell ill after consuming the poisoned water
•    The High court in Port Harcourt should be compelled to hasten the progress in the case to enable the community people get justice.      

WHAT YOU CAN DO
1.    Send letters to Shell offices demanding they comply with the judgement of the Court of Appeal Owerri

2.    Demand they halt gas flaring in the Umuorie Isimiri Community and pay adequate compensations.

3.    Send copies of your letters to news media near to you and also share on social networks

Shell Addresses

LAGOS
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
Freeman House, 21/22 Marina, PMB 2418
Lagos
Nigeria
Tel: +234 1 2769999 or 08070269999

WARRI
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
P.O.Box 230
Warri, Nigeria
Tel: +234 53  449999

ABUJA
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
House 13, Shell Trustees Estate,
Madeira Street, Off Shehu Shagari Way
Maitama, Abuja
Nigeria
Tel: +234 9 413 8110

PORT-HARCOURT
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
P.O.Box 263, Shell Industrial Area, Rumuobiakani
Port Harcourt
Nigeria
Tel: +234 84 429999

Manager, Media Relations
Shell Nigeria
Tel:  +234 1 27 65019
Fax: 234 1 2636791
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it