By Aderogba George
Solicitors representing several Niger Delta communities and families have renewed demands for payment of alleged outstanding land acquisition fees and rentals by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd., formerly Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
The solicitors, House of Law Attorneys, in a letter dated Sept. 24 and addressed to the Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy, said the demand followed a 2019 Senate resolution on alleged discriminatory payments to oil-producing communities.
The letter, signed by Mr Chibuzor Obiajunwa on behalf of the firm, said the affected communities and families were represented by Parsley Consults Ltd. and Emagu Nigeria Ltd., which it described as agents to communities across six Niger Delta states.
The solicitors alleged that some communities had received preferential payments, while others had not received what they described as the accrued shortfall in land acquisition fees and rentals.
They said the matter dated back to October 2017, when a petition by the affected communities was presented before the Senate and referred to its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions for investigation.
According to the letter, the affected communities staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly, Abuja, in March 2018 over the alleged discriminatory payments.
The solicitors said the Senate Committee subsequently reported back to plenary on Jan. 24, 2019, leading to resolutions calling for harmonisation of the payments and uniform rates going forward.
They said the Senate resolution and notification letters were transmitted to relevant authorities and SPDC in March 2019.
The letter further stated that the Office of the Solicitor-General of the Federation issued a demand letter to SPDC in July 2019 following the Senate resolution.
It said SPDC subsequently instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/423/2019 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the Senate resolution.
The solicitors said the suit was struck out on June 17, 2021, describing it as incompetent.
They further cited a peaceful protest by Niger Delta communities in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, in April 2022 and subsequent correspondence with the Attorney-General of the Federation seeking intervention.
According to the letter, the Attorney-General’s office in April 2023 forwarded the communities’ appeal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources for necessary action.
The solicitors said the Permanent Secretary, Upstream, subsequently advised SPDC to comply with the Senate resolution and asked the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) to monitor compliance.
They said further meetings and mediation efforts were held in 2025 and 2026 involving representatives of the communities, Renaissance Africa Energy, NUPRC and other government officials.
The letter said a tripartite mediation meeting held at NUPRC in August 2025 produced two action points, including submission of an auditors’ report and outstanding fund statement covering January 2014 to December 2022.
It said Renaissance Africa Energy was expected to revert to NUPRC and the community representatives with a payment proposal after receiving the documents.
The solicitors said further efforts, including a meeting convened by the Minister of Defence in March 2026 and another mediation meeting at the headquarters of Operation Delta Safe in Bayelsa in April, ended without resolution.
They expressed concern that the continued dispute could lead to unrest in the Niger Delta and called for urgent action to resolve the matter.
“We therefore write on behalf of the oil-bearing host communities of the Niger Delta to formally reiterate that our demands be met,” the solicitors said.
They appealed for the matter to be resolved to protect community welfare and safeguard oil production infrastructure.
The letter was addressed to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd., with copies of the correspondence and earlier engagements referenced by the solicitors.
