Ogonis give stiff conditions for oil exploration to resume; …Demand resettlement of Ogoni refugees, rebuilding of destroyed property, relocation of HYPREP headquarters to Ogoni land, apology from Shell

David Amusa, Port Harcourt

The Ogoni General Assembly, comprising all the communities in Ogoni land, has given strict conditions for the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni land.

The assembly, which was convoked by the Ken Sarowiwa Associates (KSWA), held at Suanu Nwika Finimale hall, Bori, headquarters of Khana local government area, on Saturday, February 24, 2018.

A 14 point communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and read by Mr. Kabari O.P-Agara, the chairman, communiqué drafting committee, spelt out the conditionalities.

It first stated that Ogoni people are committed to the unity of the country.

“The Ogoni people reaffirm their desire to remain part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

It also reiterated that SHELL had been declared persona non grata by late Ken Sarowiwa, which it stated would not be withdrawn.

“The Ogoni people are not opposed to oil production in Ogoni land. However,the Royal Dutch Shell Plc and its subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) remains persona non grata in Ogoni land, as declared by Ken Saro wiwa and other Ogoni leaders in 1993. Therefore, SPDC cannot hold stakes or profit from exploration and production of oil and gas in the land”.

It, however, advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to issue any license on OML 11(Ogoni fields) to Shell or its surrogate.

“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is also the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources should reject the application of SPDC to renew its lease over OML 11(Ogoni fields)”.

It, therefore, vehemently opposed the exploration of the oil wells without consultation with Ogoni elders and people.

“SPDC subsisting lease over OML 11(Ogoni fields) should be revoked immediately to pave way for discussions with Ogoni elders and leaders of thought on the demands of the Ogoni people as articulated in the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR), presented to the Federal Government of Nigeria in October 1990, before the resumption of oil production”.

To this end, it stated that Robomichael license to operate in Ogoni land is hereby rejected by Ogoni people.

“The unilateral decision of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to grant approval and operatorship license to Robomichael Nigeria Limited to resume oil production in OML 11 (Ogoni fields) on behalf of the SPDC, without the free, prior and informed consent of the Ogoni people as guaranteed by International law, is brazen and undemocratic as it is capable of igniting fresh crisis in the area.

“Robomichael Nigeria limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC and SPDC should steer clear of Ogoni land in the interest of peace”.

It reiterated that Royal Dutch Shell should accept responsibility and apologize for their complicity in the human rights violations and murder of Ogonis between 1993 and 1998.

It further stated that Ogoni people would not forget the destruction of their property and therefore insist that all the property destroyed during the crisis by the Nigerian military should be rebuilt and restored including the resettlement and rehabilitation of all Ogoni refugees in Nigeria and Diaspora.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria should urgently rebuild all Ogoni communities that were destroyed by the Nigerian military between 1993-1998, resettle and rehabilitate all Ogoni refugees in Nigeria and in the Diaspora and victims of human rights violations during the period”.

Foremost in its demand, it stated, is the relocation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) head office to Ogoni land if the federal government is serious and sincere in the clean-up.

“We demand the relocation of HYPREP headquarters to Ogoni land and UNEP should be invited as an independent body for the monitoring of the clean-up of Ogoni land”.

We demand the accelerated hearing of the case involving Ken Sarowiwa in 19990 and will not engage in any peace talk on the resumption of oil exploration until the protracted case is finally settled.