Following recent reported cases of Shell’s clandestine activities in parts of Ogoni, using some local politicians, the National Union of Ogoni Students, International, has put its house in order to tackle the excesses of the company and passed a note of warning on all those involved or aiding the unapproved return of SPDC into Ogoni.
NOUS Int’l also in its statement made available to us, vehemently rejected the setting up of Hydro carbon Petroleum Restoration Project (HYPREP) to handle issues of cleaning and remediation in Ogoni by the federal government of Nigeria.
The NOUS statement co-signed by its President, Pius Barikpoa Nwinee, Secretary, Sampson B. Npimnee, and Publicity Secretary Baridakara Sunday reiterated that Shell remains persona non grata in Ogoni and any one scheming to bring back the company to Ogoni without the people’s acceptance, should see him/herself as an enemy of the Ogoni people.
The students emphasized that they would resist all of such attempts to illegally bring Shell back, and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to do everything possible to ensure the Ogoni people receive what is due them as stated in the Ogoni Bill of Rights and other presentations made and submitted to the government by the Ogoni Movement.
Part of the statement read thus:
Nineteen years after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, 8 other Ogoni activists, and the killing of over five thousand innocent Ogonis, Oil Giant Shell has come to prepare more graves for the remaining living Ogonis.
Revealing the company’s criminal activities in a teleconference Sunday, the National Union of Ogoni Students (NUOS INTL) USA said for Shell to ignore every norm and procedure prescribed by UNEP to clean up Ogoni environment but only persistently forcing itself into the impoverished land, it was prepared to give the company a showdown of all time. Other attendees who called in from Europe, Canada, and Nigeria also vowed to stand with the union in every step of the way to see that Shell’s plan to reenter Ogoniland doesn’t materialize.
Royal Dutch Shell, known for its dubious and reckless business practices all over the world, including Alaska, United States, is accused of illegal activities in Ogoniland
Earlier Shell was reported to have the presence of heavily armed security personnel at Ebubu oil fields. But in the March 5th publication, the company was reported to have secured the Kpean oil field in the Khana local government area of Ogoni to itself.
Following that report, NUOS INTL, USA started holding meetings including that of Sunday March 24, 2013 and making consultations with several groups and residents in the affected communities to which the group discovered that information received were true.
In his opening remarks, NUOS President Mr. Pius Nwinee called on all Ogonis to rise up against Shell’s criminal activities in Ogoniland.
“If Shell’s vessel, itself accuses all its host communities of illegal bunkering and sabotage etc – could not pass safety and environmental test in the US and for that reason, moved the vessel to Asia, Ogoni should not be made Shell’s pollution yard.” Nwinee said.
As most Ogonis are shocked at what intention Shell has in forcing itself into the land it was declared “PERSONA NONGRATA” on January 4th, 1993, Ogonis from all works of life called in to participate in the Sunday teleconference to avow their loyalty to the struggle to keep the company out of their God given land.
As it stands, no one knows exactly what Shell intends to do in Ogoniland but the cardinal concern of the people presently is what the oil giant will do with the massive graves it’s digging in the area.
“Mr. Legborsi Nwidaadah, do you know what Shell intends to do with those graves or who it intends to bury in them? Please if you do, let Ogoni people know,” an attendee who spoke with Lemixmedia queried.
The Ogoni students in Diaspora are dismayed at Shell Oil Company’s clandestine and nonchalant activities in Ogoniland under police surveillance at Ebubu and Yorla oilfields. “We made stunning discoveries that collaborates an article by a reputable weekly national tabloid, National Network (Vol.10 No. 8 Feb, 27- March 05th, 2013) entitled, “Shell’s secret return to Ogoni: Youths poised for War,” part of which revealed that when reporters of the tabloid confronted Mr. Sunday Michael, Shell’s Community liaison officer he said, “their coming back was at the instance of Hon. Legbosi Nwidaadah, who represents Khana constituency 1 in the state House of Assembly and Chief Gilbert Warine.”
“NUOS international team has monitored the excavation of farmlands, bushes, surveying work, and erection of pipes by the multinational oil giants in Ogoniland. We have made investigation, wide consultation, and contacted Ogoni Chiefs, Elders, and Ogonis within and surrounding villages and have come to the conclusion that Shell Oil is undertaking illegal oil theft and its activities should be investigated by the United Nations.
Based on the strength of our investigation, we are poised to state as follows.
That:
1. Shell Oil Company should cease its activities in Ebubu (Eleme Local government area) and Yorla (Khana Local government area) oilfields forthwith. In addition, the Oil firm should withdraw its employees, contractors, machineries, and military personnel because Ogoni cannot guarantee, take liabilities for unforeseen contingencies that may ensue following forceful and illegal Oil operation in Ebubu and Yorla Oilfields.
2. Hon. Legborsi Nwidaadah, Chief Gilbert Warine or other Ogoni politicians/office holders, Rivers State, and Nigeria have no audacity to single-handedly usher-in Shell Oil Company, its affiliates, or sign new contracts with indigenous, national, or foreign exploiting firms without broader consultation and agreement with Ogoni people in concordance with the tenet of the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR).
3. If within 30 days from Monday 3/25/2013 Shell Oil Company is adamant, recalcitrant, and not in compliance with our demand, we shall consider the company an external aggressor and we shall seek U.N protection for the Ogoni people recognizing the universality of equal protection as a right.
4. We want to vouch for the Ogoni peoples’ vehement REJECTION of The Hydro-carbon Petroleum Restoration Project (HYPREP), a committee saddled with responsibility for the environmental clean-up and restoration of Ogoni environment because it is a Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Petroleum.
NUOS International view HYPREP as a conduit pipe for Shell Oil’s re-entry into Ogoniland; it has no track record, capability, technical expertise, and resources to undertake a massive clean-up and remediation of Ogoniland as recommended by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) that suggested Ogoni clean-up will take 30-years to complete. Going by the notion that the highest power in a Democracy resides in the people not the privileged individual, we the Ogoni people are demanding the scraping of HYPREP as we embrace UNEP for the Ogoni ecological cleaning and remediation.
5. We call on Governor Rotimi Amechi to immediately release the farmlands he ceased from Ogoni natives of Sogho and Tai without delay. Ogonis have not been consulted and there is no blueprint on profit sharing to land owners. Our investigations reveal that the Governor has a large share of profit and such land grabbing will doom Ogonis for ever.
6. Lives of innocent Ogonis have been lost for protesting the seizure of their lands by Governor Ameachi. This Governor and other culprits shall be duly punished for these crimes against humanity.
7. We call on President Goodluck Jonathan to withdraw troops guarding Shell Oil workers from Ogoniland. We have sustained our struggle non-violently and do not need any provocations at this time.
8. We call on all Ogoni people and residents to remain calm while staying vigilant on Shell Oil’s criminal activities.
Conclusively, on 1993 Ogoni declaration we stand, (SHELL REMAIN PERSONAL NON GRATA IN OGONI) ###
Source: OgoniNews