OGONI land in Rivers State may be enmeshed in a fresh round of crisis as the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has washed its hands off the recent approval given to an indigenous oil firm to commence oil exploitation in the area.
Some Ogoni chiefs, including the chairman, Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, King Godwin Giniwa, had, in a communique issued on Tuesday, agreed to allow Belema Oil Producing Limited to take over oil exploitation in the six oil fields in the area, including Bomu, Korokoro, Bodo West, Yorla, Ebubu and Tai.
However, MOSOP, in a statement signed by Bari-ara Kpalap, the Media/Public Affairs Advisor to its president, said the action of the Ogoni chiefs had the “potential of deceiving, confusing and misleading unsuspecting Ogonis and, indeed, the general public.”
The organisation said it was dissociating itself from the agreement, declaring that “the Ogoni people have not taken such position” and that it was disappointed at an alleged desperation of the chiefs, Belema Oil and their collaborators.
“The attention of MOSOP has been drawn to media reports credited to some Ogoni chiefs purported to have approved the immediate commencement of oil production in Ogoni land and has as well endorsed an indigenous company, Belema Oil, to be the sole prospecting firm to explore and extract Ogoni oil.”
“Ordinarily, MOSOP would have ignored the reports but for its potential of deceiving, confusing and misleading unsuspecting Ogonis and indeed the general public.
“Our position remains that, whilst we are not opposed to prospective companies indicating interest in the Ogoni oil concession and recognising the sensitivity and peculiar circumstance of our people in relation to oil matters, due process has to be followed to foster genuine participation and collective decision.
“MOSOP has stated time without number that for Ogoni to reach any given position on the very sensitive issue of oil production in the area, wide consultation has to be embarked upon, after which an Ogoni National Congress would be convoked. We are aware that these processes have not been completed.
“We consider as appalling and provocative the role of Belema Oil in this whole saga and would be held responsible for any conflict that may occur. The way and manner with which it has pursued its interest in the Ogoni oil concession has caused disaffection and division in the area.”
“From the look of things, the present situation portends danger for our people. We thus call on Belema Oil to stay away from Ogoni until the issues are resolved.
“We are compelled therefore to state that we do not see how oil production can commence in Ogoni when we are not sure as to whether the Ogoni environment can stand any oil mining, especially in view of available scientific environmental reports on the area, which have not been addressed.
“To us, the priority is the remediation and restoration of our degraded environment via urgent implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoni land,” the statement read.
Source: Tribune
