Tunde Oyesina 
…in compliance with court ruling on oil spillage
Multi-national oil company, Shell Petroleum Company yesterday agreed before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to pay a compensation sum of N45.9 billion to the people of Ogoni in Rivers State. The said sum is to compensate the people of Ogoni for the losses suffered during oil spills that ravaged their communities. The court had about 10 years ago given an order for the payment of the said sum.
The compensation will, however, be paid through counsel to the Ogoni people, Chief Lucius Nwosu (SAN). Shell Petroleum Com-pany through its Counsel, Chief Aham Ejelamo (SAN) announced the decision to pay up the money while addressing the trial judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, yesterday. Ejelamo, however, sought an order of the court to permit payment of the debt through the Chief Registrar of the court in a bank account to be opened for the purpose. The court consequently endorsed the final decision to pay up the said money.
Although the oil company had sought to pay through the Chief Registrar of the court, it was eventually agreed that the amount be paid to the aggrieved people through their lawyer The amount was awarded in favour of the Ogoni people by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on June 14, 2010 in his judgment in a suit filed by the Ogoni people. However, the Ogonis waived the interest on the principal amount as concession agreed upon during reconciliation
