By Felix Igbekoyi, Asaba
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has criticised Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for having an office in Lagos State despite not having its operations in the area but loading its crude oil from the Forcados terminal in Delta State, where it does not have an office.
In response to this claim, SPDC has stated that the company has a lot of assets in the state despite divesting from most off its operations there.
Okowa urged the oil company to re-open its operational office in the state, especially when it has a lot of business in the state.
The governor stated this when a contingent of SPDC management paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba. He said closing down the Shell office in Delta was not a good idea.
While the governor observed that Shell still has a lot of activities in Delta, he declared that the company could not remove Delta State from its business, with a long shared relationship as one of its founding areas in the country; according to Okowa, SPDC leaving Delta State would have some economic impact on the state.
“We are glad that you are still exporting crude through the Forcados terminal and still have other assets in the state. Your visit today is very re-assuring.
“We will do our best to protect and provide conducive business environment and the best of services for investors in the state,” Okowa said.
The governor urged Shell and other organisations to partner with the state in the areas of empowering the people, since youth empowerment programmes of his administration have provided a window for them to collaborate.
Leader of the SPDC delegation, Osagie Okunbor, in thanking the governor for receiving them, also assured Okowa of SPDC’s support in his administration’s bid to build a prosperous Delta State.
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