The General Manager, External Relations, SPDC, Igo Weli, represented by the Stakeholder Relations Manager, Dr. Alice Ajeh, made the appeal on Tuesday, during a stakeholders’ engagement forum held at Imo Trade and Investment Centre, Owerri.

The objective of the open frank discussion was to provide opportunity to interact and collaborate with external stakeholders on oil and gas issues.

Weli opined: ‘’The only way to survive is to increase production because price has gone down,” noting that the support of the stakeholders in current efforts by Shell to remain relevant was uppermost in the engagement with them.

According to him, Shell has made economic contribution of about $29billion from 2012- 2016; while the contribution to the Niger Delta Development Commission since 2002 was $1.8billion, with 572,000 barrels of oil equivalent average daily production via Shell- operated ventures in Nigeria in 2016.

Weli again reiterated that from its revenue earnings Shell pays about 55 per cent to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC); pays huge tax burden, spends highly on social corporate responsibility such as building roads, awarding scholarships to students in the communities and many others.

He therefore urged the Imo host communities to consider all of these in making demands, and urged them to assist in safeguarding its installations.

He recalled that large scale vandalism had made Shell lose much production opportunities, which in turn, reduced its revenue accruing from the oil bearing communities. “Things must change. These are the realities on ground,” he added.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, represented by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Francis Bisong, urged the communities in Imo oil bearing areas to ensure peaceful environment.

He also harped on the need to use police officers to safeguard oil installations in the communities.