SHELL Petroleum Development Company has built a six-classroom block for Ogodobiri community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, 24 years after the community and eight others were devastated by an oil spill.
Vanguard gathered that the 1989 spillage wrecked havoc in Arhavewarien, Ogada, Orere, Okuama, Assah, Okuama, Utoarhavwarian and Oviri-Olomu, presently in Ughelli South Local Government Area and two Ijaw communities— Ogodobiri and Okoloma in Bomadi Local Government Area.
However, Shell refused to acknowledge Ogodobiri as an impacted community after the spill.
Chairman of Ogodobiri Development Association, ODA, Mr. Maxwell Arekumor, in a statement commending the company for the classroom project, said: “Shell built developmental projects for eight communities and skipped Ogodobiri community.
“The patient Ogodobiri people waited for the company to build developmental projects in their community, but Shell refused and denied they were impacted by the spill.
“After waiting for 10 years and the company failed to show concern, the aggrieved Ogodobiris wrote series of letters to Shell, starting from 1999 till 2012.”