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Ogoni people from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, the four local government areas that make up Ogoniland in Rivers State have begun consultations on the planned resumption of oil production in the area.
President Bola Tinubu recently met with some Ogoni leaders led Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara in Abuja on the planned oil resumption in the area.
The President then appointed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to facilitate the oil resumption talks with the Ogoni stakeholders, just as he asked the delegation to get the input of their people and feed him back.
As a result, the Ogoni leaders held a congress at the Peace and Freedom Centre in Bori, traditional headquarters of Ogoniland to inform the people of the outcome of their meeting with Tinubu.
However, the meeting which was scheduled 1pm started at about 2pm as it witnessed large turnout of Ogoni people.
The Co-Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Ignatius Kattey, the Senator representing Rivers South-East District, Barry Mpigi and former President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Ledum Mitee, briefed the gathering on the outcome of the meeting with Tinubu.
While speeches from the facilitators were going on, a mild drama ensued as some youths in the crowd started displaying placards with inscriptions expressing skepticism on the planned oil exploration.
The youths demanded transparency in the ongoing dialogue for resumption of oil production in the area.
Some of the inscription on the placards reads, ‘Ledum Mitee, we failed us, your time is up’. ‘Ledum Mitee and Nuhu Ribadu, leave Ogoni alone’, ‘On Ogoni Development Authority we stand’, Exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa and the eight of murder,’ among others.
The event ended abruptly with palpable tension as both the facilitators, dignitaries and other stakeholders hurriedly left the venue amidst murmuring from some the Ogoni youths.
However, a resolution signed by the Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Don Baridam, Co-Chairman, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey and Tom Orage, was issued.
The resolution read, “We acknowledge with gratitude the prompt actions taken by the government in response to the confidence building measures requests presented by our delegation, as a precursor to the dialogue.
“The Congress of Ogoni People fully supports the ongoing dialogue process between the Ogoni people and the Federal Government which has begun earnestly with the Ogoni-wide consultations .
“We believe that continued engagement and constructive discussions will lead to lasting solutions that will benefit our people and future generations. We acknowledge the efforts of the facilitators appointed to coordinate this process and express our confidence in their ability to ensure fairness, inclusivity, and transparency in the consultation and dialogue process.”
The resolution called on Ogoni sons and daughters, regardless of political, ethnic, or ideological differences, to unite in support of the dialogue process.
“The Congress of Ogoni People remains steadfast in our pursuit of justice, development, and inclusivity. We stand in solidarity with the government in this dialogue process and urge all Ogoni people to embrace unity and cooperation for the greater good of our land,” said the resolution.
Meanwhile, MOSOP and other groups in Ogoni have backed the planned oil resumption but called for inclusion.
