Civil Society Slams Resumption of Oil Activities in Ogoniland

The Nigerian government’s plan to begin oil extraction in Ogoniland has drawn criticism from a coalition of Niger Delta civil society organizations, who say it is unacceptable in the absence of more extensive community involvement and redress for historical injustices.

The organizations denounced the government’s strategy of interacting with a small number of Ogoni leaders while excluding the larger community during a meeting Tuesday at the Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria headquarters in Port Harcourt.

The group stressed how fundamentally unfair it is to resume oil production in Ogoniland without resolving the region’s long-standing environmental, social, and economic problems.

They cited the results of the 2011 UNEP Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland, which showed that decades of unregulated oil extraction had severely contaminated the land, water, and air.

The coalition, which included the following demands: Shell be held responsible for environmental degradation and human rights violations in the region; a review of the military trial and execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists; their exoneration; the release of the confiscated Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Bus sculpture; and a halt to oil extraction plans in Ogoniland until meaningful consultations are held with the Ogoni people and the environment is fully remediated.

President Bola Tinubu assigned National Security Advisor (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu the responsibility of spearheading talks with important parties in Ogoniland, a region rich in oil in the Niger Delta, in order to resume oil production there on Tuesday.

During a meeting with Ogoni leaders, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, at the Aso Villa in Abuja, the President gave the order.

Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was also in attendance.

Tinubu stressed that the region’s sustainable development, justice, and peace will be the main priorities of his administration.

He called on the Ogoni people to set aside their previous grudges and work together for peace, advancement, and a better environment.

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Tinubu stated, “We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward,” according to a statement released by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. If we stay furious, we won’t be able to repair the wounds.

“We need to collaborate with mutual trust. Return home, continue consulting, and show others love.

“By returning to Ogoniland with peace, progress, and a clean environment, we must make this journey worthwhile.”

In order to carry out this task, he asked the Rivers State Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and NNPCL to collaborate with the Office of the National Security Adviser.