From Maureen Dick, Port Harcourt
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) said it has commenced genuine multi-stakeholder negotiations on oil resumption in Ogoniland.
NYCOP made the disclosure during a rally organised in support of the “Ogoni Economic Rebirth Project” held in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoni people in
Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State, yesterday.
The youths said the ‘Ogoni Economic Rebirth Project’ gives unique opportunities for the Ogoni indigenous exploration and production company that would collaborate with financial and technical partners of great repute in the industry to secure the lease to operate the assets within the Ogoni oil fields.
A statement signed by NYCOP’s President and Secretary-General, Barinuazor Emmanuel and Fred Mene Elijah respectively, and 10 others, said it was time for Ogoni to join the comity of nations to enjoy its natural deposit.
The president said stakeholders should join hands together to achieve the vision, noting that the modern world was already shifting from dependence on oil and gas to renewable energy.
He said: “We cannot be sitting on a pot of gold while we continue to die in hunger.”
Emmanuel explained that the Ogoni Economic Rebirth Project is a matter of the moment, stating that Ogoni has risen to avail itself the wealth-creating opportunities offered by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act, 2010 (Local Content Act, 2010) and further upheld by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021(PIA 2021).
He said: “Effective participation is our watch-word under the unique auspices of ‘Ogoni Economic Rebirth Project,’ Ogoni people are very peaceful and law-abiding people. And our entire vision will be pursued from the engagement stage to the actualization stage, within the ambit of the law.
“We call on all well-meaning Ogoni sons and daughters to open their minds and shun every deceitful ploy by commercial activists and visionless high-grade racketeers who would often parade under the toga of leaders.”
It would be recalled that oil extraction in Ogoniland was stopped in 1993, due to increasing local and international protests, which prompted Shell to suspend production in the area.
On January 4, 1993, about 300,000 Ogoni people protested peacefully against Shell and oil pollution.
Shell hasn’t pumped oil from most of its wells since then, but its pipelines still run through Ogoniland, leaking oil.
Ends.