Stakeholders Give FG Conditions for Resumption of Oil Production in Ogoniland

A coalition of civil society organizations has set key conditions for the resumption of oil extraction in Ogoniland, including the posthumous exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders executed in 1995.

The coalition, which made its stance known in a statement issued in Bori, Khana, over the weekend, included representatives from the Federation of Ogoni Women Association (FOWA), the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), the Ogoni Solidarity Forum, and Natural Justice, among others. Signatories to the statement included Georgina Tenalo, President of FOWA; Fegalo Nsuke, President of MOSOP; Evangelist Barine Caroline Nagbo; Barinaadaa Wugale, Executive Director of the Ogoni Solidarity Forum in South Africa; and Michael Keania Karikpo, Country Manager of Natural Justice.

The coalition condemned the historical injustices suffered by the Ogoni people, particularly the violent response to their non-violent agitation for environmental and social justice. They emphasized that the mass arrests, unjust detentions, and execution of the Ogoni Nine in 1995 under the military regime of Sani Abacha were grave miscarriages of justice.

Fegalo Nsuke, speaking on behalf of the coalition, insisted that exonerating the executed leaders was a necessary step towards reconciliation and justice. He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate the same political will that led to the removal of fuel and forex subsidies in addressing the long-standing grievances of the Ogoni people.

“We are witnesses to the uncommon courage and grit that it took to end the oil subsidy and forex subsidy. We urge President Tinubu to exhibit a similar trait in dealing with this fundamental miscarriage of justice and abominable abuse of power by the Abacha Junta at the behest of Shell,” Nsuke stated.

The coalition also called for the establishment of a peace and reconciliation panel to investigate the deaths of the Ogoni Four, arguing that this would help heal the wounds inflicted on the affected families and the community.

Expressing concerns over the lack of inclusivity in the ongoing oil resumption discussions, the group criticized the delegation that recently met with President Tinubu, noting that women and youth were not represented. They demanded that the consultation process be halted and the facilitation group reconstituted to reflect the full diversity of the Ogoni community.

The coalition reiterated that the Ogoni people had long opposed oil resumption due to environmental degradation, marginalization, and neglect. While affirming their willingness to share their resources with the rest of Nigeria, they insisted that any agreement must be based on fairness, equity, and justice.

“We have no doubt in our minds that President Tinubu will work to heal the wounds inflicted on Ogoniland by a brutal dictatorship in cahoots with Shell. We urge him to, as a sign of good faith, ensure the exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Saturday Doobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, John Kpuinen, and Dr. Nubari Kiobel, either by executive order or through a re-examination of the false evidence used to convict them,” the statement read.

Additionally, the coalition demanded that the facilitation group overseeing the oil resumption process be restructured to include representatives from women’s groups, Ogoni youth, families of the Ogoni Nine, MOSOP, and the Ogoni Council of Churches.

They maintained that only an inclusive and just process would pave the way for meaningful dialogue and a fair resolution to the decades-long struggle in Ogoniland.