Fishermen from the Niger Delta region. They are operating under the auspices of Artisanal Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN). They have urged the federal government to prevail on Shell Nigeria Exploration and also the Production Company (SNEPCO) Limited. They have requested them to pay the $3.6 billion fine. This is imposed by the refining industry regulators over the 2011 Bonga oilfield spill or face a showdown.
The fishermen also demanded that the federal government should compensate them. They should be compensated for shutting down their trade during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, saying they were yet to recover from the impact of the lockdown on the fisheries sector, as they were excluded from the palliatives given to the agriculture sector during the lockdown. Rev. Samuel Ayadi, the Coordinator of ARFAN within the Niger Delta region, said yesterday that another lockdown following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic would be unbearable for fishermen.
Data source: this day live
