On November 16, Nigeria’s Senate President Chief Adolphus Wabara demanded that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) pay $1.5 billion in compensation to the Ijaw, as recommended by resolutions passed by the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives. In response to a petition filed by Ijaw communities in December 2003, the House and Senate created an arbitration panel to examine the marginalization Ijaw communities have experienced despite oil wealth in the region. The panel, consisting of Nigeria’s leading lawyers, determined that Shell should compensate the Ijaw for environmental and social damages as a result of oil spills from SPDC-owned facilities. The House and Senate resolutions will not be binding without the support of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. SPDC has yet to respond to Wabara's appeal.
