Civil society groups in the Niger Delta region have called on the Federal Government to hold Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) accountable for environmental crimes before divesting its onshore assets in Nigeria. 

The groups made their position known in a statement made available to newsmen by the Media/Communication Lead, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Kome Odhomor. 

They asked the Federal Government to place a moratorium on all oil company divestmwnt or sale of assets in the Niger Delta pending the ascertaining of issues of community concern. 

They asked the Federal Government to immediately produce a framework and guide for how oil companies disengage from areas where they have operated. 

The statement was signed by Dr. Nnimmo Bassey – Health or Mother Earth Foundation; Ken Henshaw – We The People; Akinbode Oluwafemi – Corporate Accountability & Public Participation

Africa; Emem Okon – Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre; Tijah Bolton – Akpan, Policy Alert; and Stephen Oduware – Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence.