A Farewell To Arms In Ogoni

By Dagogo Josiah, Olayinka Coker and Emmanuel Obe

For three decades or more, there’s been a cessation of oil production activities in Ogoni land.

But last week’s meeting of President Bola Tinubu with notable sons and groups may return Ogoni to renewed oil-production once again. Ogonis are weary of perennial neglect.

Days after the meeting, President Tinubu gave a nod to the establishment of a new University of Environmental Technology in Tai in the Ogoni area. He had earlier on approved appointments into some federal boards on which he appointed some notable Ogoni.

The President’s actions and speeches so far have indicated good faith and intentions. This has urged hard-nosed and irrepressible resistance leaders like Attorney Ledum Mitee, one-time President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), to be in complete agreement with the return to oil production.

He was heard on the news calling all well- meaning sons and daughters of Ogoni land to accept the turnkey offers coming their way.

Many Ogoni however are still doubtful about the President’s intentions. They have said it is all geared towards the Federal Government having access to the rich oil and gas deposits in Ogoni soil.

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There is also distrust by some who have yet to heal from past injustices inflicted on the land by previous governments in cahoots with the oil majors.

Since 1993 when oil production stopped in Ogoni land following intensive protests from the Ogoni, the Nigerian government and the oil majors stopped reaping from millions of dollars in proceeds from the oil and gas.

Lawson Hayford, a veteran journalist, who has reported the Niger Delta for over four decades, particularly the Niger and the Ogoni crisis, said Nigeria has lost revenue amounting to over N30 trillion for the 32 years that oil has not been mined in Ogoni land.

Writing in the Southern Examiner, Hayford said, “While oil exploration and production in the Niger Delta region began in the late 1950s, operations were suspended in Ogoniland in the early 1990s due to disruptions from local public unrests with oil fields and installations remaining largely dormant for about 34 years, leading to a loss of revenue of over N30 trillion.

“There are a total of 96 oil wells connected to five flow stations across the four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai, and Eleme in Ogoniland. They were being operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC of Nigeria, a subsidiary of the Royal Dutch Shell.”

That story is presently being rewritten by the remediation efforts of Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the work of Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, its coordinator.

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“Over 50 communities are now enjoying potable water.” As though this was not magic enough, contractors are working hard toward mangrove regeneration not to leave out empowerment programmes for women and people with disabilities. These are stories too good to be true.

In addition, the Petroleum Industry Act has also been introduced to cater to some basic needs of the oil communities, especially by tying development of the communities to the operational budgets of the oil companies. The establishment of a host community development Trust as a condition for oil mining license holders regarding community development, may well be the magic wand required to turn things around for the Ogoni. A trying present is most likely to give way to a prosperous future.

The future of the land and peoples of oil-bearing communities appear brighter with possibilities within this framework.

Environmentalist and lawyer Iniro Wills however strongly thinks that the community-friendly Clause in the PIA is only a tiny drop that cannot quench the thirst of the people’s appetite. Only time will tell.

A lot of work needs to be done to bring every party in the Ogoni scenario to the table. Some groups are yet to agree with the return of oil production in Ogoniland, while others do not quite agree with the modus operandi adopted to initiate the process. They would all need to be brought together to ventilate their positions so that everyone is taken along together.

Last Saturday, the committee that emerged to kickstart a process of the consultations initiated by President Tinubu convened a meeting at Freed Centre, Bori in the heart of Ogoniland. Though it was well attended but proceedings had to be hurried as group of protesters stormed the venue.

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Blessing Wikina, a long time public communications expert from Ogoni however notes that the Bori meeting was a good landing.

He said he was there. He dismisses the slanted reports about the meeting which he said were done to create social media content. He says in his social media handle that the committee deliberately avoided founding the consultations along old ‘loyalty blocs’ and ‘groups of people with entitlement blood.’ “Every Ogoni was to attend as an individual, not as a member of a camp. This approach meant no one would claim success or failure.”

Several factions exist in Ogoini land, including the leading pressure group, MOSOP, and they all need to get involved in the consultations, including those sulking for not being invited to the Abuja parley with the President.

Factional MOSO President, Fegalo Nsuke, recalled how MOSOP championed the Ogoni struggle from the beginning and wondered why MOSOP was not invited to Abuja or the Bori meeting.

Hayford says, “Sidelining MOSOP in the move to re-enter Ogoniland for oil and gas production could create distrust in the hearts of the Ogoni people, cautioning against rushing the process in order not to generate tension, anxiety and crisis in the landscape of Ogoni area.”

Certain that the current process led by President Tinubu would yield good fruit for the Ogoni, Wikina says, he silently prays that “this Oil Resumption come sooner, so that our people will participate in productive ventures around our oil economy…..and get benefits like our brothers is Orashi area, Bonny axis etc.”

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He looks at the Bodo-Bonny road that will link mainland Nigeria with the vital island port of Bonny that is passing through Ogoni land. “Shall we wait, watch, as vehicles drive through here, to where lucrative oil businesses are happening…without our involvement?

Every party will have to sheathe their sword and embrace the ongoing consultation process that will lead to a prosperous future for the land and the people.