By Efio-Ita Nyok
The Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to the sum of $84m to the worst hit and grieving people of Bodo in the Ogoni Land of the Nigeria's Niger Delta region.
This legal suit by 15,600 fishermen community of the said Niger Delta area is said to be prompted by the oil spill of 2008 & 2009.
Mitiu Sunmonu the Managing Director of the oil firm is said to explain that the oil spill is caused by operational failure of the pipelines. According to him: 'From the outset, we have accepted responsibility for the two deeply regrettable oil spills in Bodo'.
Leigh Day is the law firm that has represented the Bodo community for the six years. According to Lawyer Martin Day of the law firm, it took Shell six years to recognise the extent of damage.
This environmental damage has caused untold hardship to the Bodo community. Health wise, it inflicts headaches and eyesores.
Economically, it affect the means of livelihood of this mainly fishing and farming community.
Each member of the community is expected to received $3300 as individual compensation. The $30m left over will go into the purse of the community worst hit environmentally.
