CSOs Reject Oil Resumption in Ogoniland, Demand Cleanup, Justice

Blessing Ibunge

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), under a coalition of environmental and community-based groups, have demanded an immediate suspension of all activities towards oil resumption in Ogoniland, warning that restarting production before completing the cleanup would expose communities to further environmental degradation.

It would be recalled that Ogoni people have suffered decades of oil pollution resulting from activities of oil multinationals, sabotage, and which has not just affected their health but badly affected their sources of livelihood.

At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Dr. Celestine Akpobari, Executive Director of Miideekor Environmental Centre who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said the proposed resumption was unacceptable in the absence of comprehensive environmental restoration and genuine consultation with the Ogoni people.”

The coalition maintained that its position was not against dialogue or development but against a process it described as moving ahead of environmental remediation, transparency and the free, prior and informed consent of the people.

“Let us be clear: there must be no resumption of oil production in Ogoniland under the present conditions. Neither should any new oil well be opened in the Niger Delta,” Akpobari declared.

According to the organisations, oil production stopped in Ogoniland in 1993 following years of agitation by the people over environmental degradation, economic marginalisation and the need for greater control over their natural resources.

They recalled that the Ogoni Bill of Rights, presented in 1990, articulated the community’s demands for political autonomy, environmental protection and equitable benefits from its natural resources.

The coalition argued that the historical grievances that informed the Ogoni struggle remained largely unresolved, particularly the environmental devastation documented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its 2011 assessment of Ogoniland.

The UNEP report identified extensive hydrocarbon contamination of soil, groundwater and waterways, recommending emergency interventions, an initial $1 billion for the restoration programme and the establishment of an adequately funded authority to oversee the cleanup.

However, the CSOs lamented that 15 years after the report was released, significant concerns remained over the pace, scope and effectiveness of the remediation exercise.

They warned that resuming oil production while communities were still awaiting comprehensive environmental restoration would undermine the purpose of the cleanup.

“You cannot reopen a wound that has never been treated. To restart extraction while the damage from the previous operations remains unrepaired is to expose the Ogoni people to further harm,” the coalition stated.

The groups also questioned the transparency of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, inaugurated in January 2025, and the subsequent engagements involving the federal government, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

They said concerns had emerged among some Ogoni stakeholders over the selection of beneficiaries of confidence-building initiatives, the distribution of jobs and contracts, and reports of oil-related activities in parts of the area.

The coalition called on the federal government and relevant institutions to publish a comprehensive account of commitments made under the dialogue process, including those fulfilled, outstanding and awaiting implementation.

It further raised questions about financial allocations reportedly made in connection with the proposed resumption, including funds allegedly released to local government areas and other stakeholders.

The organisations urged the federal government, NNPC Limited and Sahara Energy to clarify any financial arrangements involving the company and the Ogoni dialogue process.

They also called for the publication of relevant disbursement records, approvals, beneficiaries and expenditure details to enable independent public scrutiny.

The coalition said the confidence-building measures earlier promised to Ogoni communities, including roads, industrial parks, renovated schools and functional health centres, should be delivered before any decision on oil resumption.

It insisted that government must provide project-by-project information, including contract values, contractors, implementation timelines and completion status.

Speaking separately, Executive Director of We The People, Ken Henshaw, described the historical experience of the Ogoni people as one of the gravest environmental and human rights tragedies in the Niger Delta, arguing that the proposed dialogue should address historical injustices rather than concentrate principally on reopening oil operations.

Henshaw said the Ogoni agitation was a collective response to decades of environmental destruction and economic injustice, stressing that the people had clearly articulated their demands through the Ogoni Bill of Rights.

“Ogoni people did not just wake up one morning and say no more oil extraction. It took an assessment of their lives after more than 30 years of crude oil extraction on their land and territory. Collectively, they decided that there was a need to renegotiate the terms of their relationship with the Nigerian state and the oil industry,” he said.

He recalled the military repression that followed the Ogoni struggle in the 1990s, including the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders in November 1995.

According to him, genuine reconciliation must include justice for victims, restitution for affected families and an honest examination of the circumstances surrounding the military operations in Ogoniland.

Henshaw also criticised the presidential pardon granted to Saro-Wiwa and his fellow activists, arguing that what the Ogoni people required was their formal exoneration rather than an act of clemency that could imply acceptance of the convictions.

“Do we forgive people who committed no crime? In our opinion, Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades committed no crime. What happened was a miscarriage of justice, and that conviction must be addressed,” he said.

He questioned whether the Ogoni Dialogue Committee had adequately considered issues of historical justice, environmental restoration, compensation and the plight of families affected by the crisis.

“A dialogue requires a conversation between two parties. Was the only thing on the table the restoration of oil operations? What about the Ogoni cleanup? What about justice, restitution and the other issues that have remained unresolved?” he asked.

Henshaw further warned that the environmental challenges confronting Ogoniland were part of a wider Niger Delta crisis, citing reports of gas leaks, pipeline fires, oil spills and pollution in communities across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo and Akwa Ibom states.

He specifically expressed concern over persistent gas seepage in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, the reported pipeline explosion in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area, and prolonged wellhead fires in other Niger Delta communities.

He argued that the incidents demonstrated the need for a comprehensive review of oil and gas operations across the region.

“How do you pretend that you are mopping the floor while the tap is still open? How do you claim to be cleaning up Ogoniland and then resume the source of the pollution? You cannot be cleaning and polluting at the same time,” Henshaw said.

He urged the federal government to prioritise the health, livelihoods and environmental security of Niger Delta communities over immediate revenue considerations.

Also speaking, the Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Dr Emem Okon, said the proposed Ogoni dialogue and environmental restoration process had failed to adequately address the experiences and needs of women affected by decades of oil pollution and historical violence.

Okon maintained that there could be no meaningful environmental justice in Ogoniland or the wider Niger Delta without specific measures to address the suffering of women.

She recalled an assessment conducted by Niger Delta Women for Justice in 2000, which documented the impact of the Ogoni crisis and military operations on women, including reported cases of sexual violence, torture and other forms of abuse.

“The HYPREP mandate in Ogoniland has no specific provision for Ogoni women. There can never be justice for the Ogoni people if the issues affecting women are not addressed,” she said.

Okon said women in oil-producing communities had suffered disproportionately from environmental pollution, the destruction of fishing and farming livelihoods, health challenges and the psychological consequences of violence and displacement.

She also cited findings from environmental and health assessments in Niger Delta communities, including reports of hydrocarbon exposure among women, as evidence of the need for gender-sensitive environmental interventions.

According to her, the consequences of oil pollution on women go beyond the loss of livelihoods to include reproductive health concerns, mental health challenges, early menopause and other long-term medical complications requiring attention.

She called for the establishment of a special development fund for women in the Niger Delta and a dedicated agency to coordinate their development, economic empowerment, healthcare and rehabilitation.

“We need to see serious consideration and specific provisions for women, not only in Ogoniland but across the Niger Delta. I propose a special women’s development fund and a special agency to promote development, empowerment and healing for women in the region,” she said.

Okon also urged political parties and candidates seeking elective offices in the Niger Delta to make women’s welfare, environmental justice and economic empowerment central to their programmes.

“If the women are not healed, the land cannot be healed,” she declared.

In its demands, the coalition called for the immediate suspension of all steps towards oil resumption in Ogoniland, completion of the UNEP-recommended cleanup and the establishment of an independent and adequately funded restoration authority.

It also demanded that original oil operators be held accountable for environmental damage caused during their operations, insisting that companies should not be allowed to transfer or divest assets without addressing outstanding remediation obligations.

Other demands included the publication of the names of Ogoni indigenes employed by NNPC and other federal government agencies under the confidence-building programme, disclosure of all funds released in connection with the dialogue process, and clarification of Sahara Energy’s involvement, if any.

The coalition further advocated the creation of Bori State, describing it as part of the political aspirations articulated in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.

It also called for an inclusive dialogue involving women, youths, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and representatives of all four Ogoni local government areas, stressing that no decision should be taken without the free, prior and informed consent of the communities.

The organisations warned against any attempt to impose oil resumption through intimidation, militarisation or forceful entry into Ogoni communities.

They urged the federal government to demonstrate sincerity by addressing outstanding environmental and historical grievances before pursuing renewed extraction.

Among the organisations at the conference were Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action, Oilwatch International, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, HEDA Resource Centre, Social Action, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), We The People, Policy Alert, Lekeh Development Foundation and the Ogoni Youths Development Initiative, among others.

The coalition said the approaching anniversary of the execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists on November 10 should serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made in the struggle for environmental justice.

It maintained that the Ogoni question should not be reduced to the economic benefits of restarting oil production but must be approached through the broader issues of justice, environmental restoration, community rights and sustainable development.

“We will not stay silent. We will not look away. And we will not accept oil before justice,” the organisations declared.