Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Stakeholders in Ogoniland, Rivers State have declared that for crude oil and gas production to resume in the area, the federal government and operating companies must ensure equity participation for host communities in the area.
The declaration was made yesterday in a meeting held at Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, headquarters of Gokana local government area of the State.
During the meeting convened by various groups, including spiritual leaders, traditional rulers, professionals, women and youth groups, they told the federal government and its regulatory agencies in the petroleum industry that the Ogoni people were willing to embrace dialogue for the recommencement of oil production in their land.
The recent declaration comes 30 years after oil wells were shut down in Ogoni land following a non-violent struggle that ended up in massacres and bloodshed in area.
THISDAY recalls that at the height of the Ogoni struggle in the 1990s, angry communities shut down oil wells in 1993 as a result of perceived economic exploitation and the repression Ogoni people suffered in the hands of the military government at the time.
Over the years, the closure of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 in Ogoniland which is one of Nigeria’s most lucrative oil wells has led to daily loss of billions of naira.
Considering that it has been a lose-lose situation for both the federal government and Ogoni people, some leaders in the area decided to sensitise the people to consider the recommencement of crude oil and gas production in the area
In his address, convener of the meeting, Mr Olu Wai-Ogosu said: “We are here to re-sensitise our people to be able to see the enormous wealth and potential in their domain and see how we can use them to improve the quality of life in Ogoniland“.
On his part, Present of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Prince Biira observed that the Ogoni people were willing to have oil and gas production resume with adequate recognition of their right to equity participation in OML 11.
“The message here today is that Ogoni people are ready to partner with the federal government and investors and not to be mere onlookers so that we can develop our communities at our own pace,” he said.
President of the National Youths Council of Ogoni People, Mr Barinuazor Emmanuel who also addressed stakeholders at the Bori meeting said: “We have resolved that Ogoni people should participate meaningfully in OML 11 as we have professionals that can drill oil here.
“Those who started the struggle did not say oil should not be drilled in Ogoniland; they only insisted that we should benefit from the immense wealth generated in our land. And that is where we stand”.
