Leaders from Ogoniland have described the order of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, directing them to return home for wider consultations with their communities as a prelude to resuming oil production in the region, as putting the cart before the horse.
However, the meeting did not address the underlying issues that led to the suspension of oil production in Ogoniland 32 years ago, raising concerns among stakeholders.
The suspension of oil production in Ogoniland in 1993 was rooted in demands outlined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, which was presented to the federal government in 1990. These demands include self-determination, compensation for environmental devastation caused by oil exploration, cessation of gas flaring by companies like Shell and Chevron, and improved healthcare and environmental conditions for the Ogoni people.
One of the signatories to the OBR, Senator Bennett Birabi, highlighted the frustrations of the Ogoni people, stating, “Our fundamental demands when we started the struggle was that we cannot be pumping oil from Ogoni and the only thing we have left are the pipelines.”
The Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, expressed reservations about the President’s directive.
“Tinubu’s directive to the national security advisor to ensure the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland is like putting the cart before the horse,” he said. “One would have expected the President to direct the national security advisor to address all the issues associated with why oil production stopped in Ogoniland in 1993. This directive is somewhat confrontational to the Ogoni people as it puts oil production resumption at the forefront while not talking about addressing the issues that led to the stoppage of oil production in 1993.”
He also emphasized the need to resolve long-standing grievances. “The consultation which focuses on making crude oil and gas to flow from Ogoniland is the hallmark of the whole process, but putting oil extraction at the forefront of the consultation process means that it is like coercing the people or forcing it on them… The issue that led to the killing of a generation of Ogoni leaders in 1995 should be properly addressed before we talk about resumption in oil production,” he added.
The President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, Fegalo Nsuke, who was excluded from the delegation, viewed the directive as an opportunity for reconciliation.
“What Ogoni needs to do now is to organize itself and take a position. The President has good intentions and is willing to help Ogoni out of decades of conflicts with the oil industry. For us as Ogonis, we will have to take this opportunity to also address fundamental issues of underdevelopment and injustice so that we can usher in a new era. All parties must be willing to make compromises,” Nsuke said.
He emphasized the need for sustainable development and addressing past injustices, including the hanging of 10 Ogoni leaders in 1995. “We also need to address the issue of the injustices done to Ogoni, especially the hanging of 10 Ogonis on November 10, 1995. Ogonis do not need any special projects, like completing the cleanup exercise, before visiting the issue of resumption of oil production. What we all need as parties to the conflicts is to make the desired compromises and reach an agreement and begin the implementation of the agreement simultaneously,” he concluded.
Ogoniland has played a significant role in Nigeria’s economy, with the region hosting Oil Mining License 11, which comprises 33 oil and gas fields. Before the crisis in 1993, Ogoniland produced about 500,000 barrels of oil daily. The suspension of oil production in the area has been attributed to unresolved grievances and tensions between the Ogoni people and oil companies like Shell Petroleum Development Company.
Efforts to resolve the crisis have spanned successive administrations. In 2005, President Olusegun Obasanjo established the Presidential Peace and Reconciliation Committee, led by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, to address the grievances. However, the committee’s efforts faced resistance from Ogoni leaders. Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari attempted to negotiate oil resumption by re-awarding the Bodo-Bonny road project as a bargaining chip, but this approach also failed to yield results.
President Tinubu has expressed optimism about achieving a diplomatic resolution. “The importance of Ogoni in the socio-economic life of Nigeria cannot be undermined,” said a source familiar with the meeting. “The federal government stands to gain significantly if oil production resumes in the area.”
