Host communities outline conditions for resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland

Oil and gas-bearing communities in Ogoniland, Rivers State, have given out conditions to the Federal Government for the resumption of oil exploration in the area.

They also urged the Federal Government to relocate all host communities and impacted homes to safe settlement due to the high level of environmental degradation, before any environmental activity and oil and gas business should be carried.

The host communities gave the conditions in a letter sent to President Muhammadu Buhari after a meeting of the leaders of oil host communities held in Bera, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, which was signed by the leaders of the oil host communities in Gokana LGA.

The letter was read at the weekend during the flagging-off of Green Energy Revolution project in collaboration with Sun Energy Community Development Initiative in Gokana.

The President of Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr. Douglas Fabeke, who read the letter on behalf of the host communities, said they were ready to withdraw all pending cases in courts over various decrees of injustices meted at the Ogoniland and its people if the federal government demonstrates sincerity of purpose in the implementation of all their requests.

Fabeke said the host communities would produce a drafted master-plan, which are the final resolutions of its Ogoni economic development recovery plans to Buhari.

He said the master plan would serve as the blueprint and strategic models for the development of Ogoniland, cutting across agriculture, marine, aviation, health, power, water resources, environmental restoration and management, education, socio-political change, oil and gas, refinery, military, security formations and others.

The letter read in parts: “Besides, the host communities shall include in the final draft the following developmental and impactful areas for the president’s implementation, namely: scholarship, trust fund, and payment of compensation.

“Demonstration of practical steps for restoration of our polluted environment and the development of the land through complete and total implementation of UNEP report’s recommendations, including the emergency measures, which are neglected by the ongoing clean up exercise.

“Relocation of all host communities and impacted homes to another well-settled location because of the high level of environmental degradation, before any environmental activities and oil and gas business should be carried.

“That the host communities and Ogoni Liberation Initiative are ready to withdraw all pending cases in courts over various decrees of injustices meted at the Ogoniland and its people, if the government actually demonstrates sincerity of purpose in the implementation all our requests, including payment of compensation and benefits.

“That the government should take cognizance of the fact that since the invasion of Shell in Ogoniland in 1958, we have suffered tremendously without commensurate pay for our tapped natural economic resources.

“Therefore, we appeal to the president to fulfill his words of ‘commitment to ensuring clemency and national integration as part of his administration bid to lay the foundation for genuine reconciliation and bring closure to the issues of Ogoniland.”

On the pronouncement of grant of pardon to late Ken Saro-Wiwa, he said the expectation of the people is for complete exoneration, and not pardon.

According to Fabeke, “the expectation of the people is for complete exoneration and not pardon, because these people were killed 10 days after judgment without room for appeal, which was supposed to be 30 days.

“However, it should be noted that the president did not pronounce pardon to Late Ken Saro-Wiwa, but said ‘despite the grievous circumstances, the federal government will consider the request for the grant of pardon to finally close the Ogoni saga.

“We all know that what transpired in the 1990 resulting to the tragic loss of our resourceful martyrs and ugly judicial processes were globally condemnable, even as one of the pronouncements in the judgment gave them the prerogative to appeal the case within reasonable time, but were killed 10 days after the judgment, not accepting pleas from international community.

Meanwhile, the Green Energy Revolution project is designed to provide power without the use of petrol, and the company is expected to manufacture their solar-powered electronics products in Ogoni. Numerous Ogoni youths are also expected to be trained on the production of green energy.

(THISDAY)