Port Harcourt, Jan. 21, 2025 – A coalition of 21 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the Niger Delta has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s plans to resume crude oil production in Ogoniland, urging immediate cessation of the initiative and comprehensive environmental restoration.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Dr. Emem Okon, Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, criticized the proposed private meeting involving the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and selected Ogoni stakeholders. She labeled the meeting “insensitive,” given the long-standing environmental degradation and social injustices suffered by the Ogoni people since oil extraction halted in 1993.
Citing the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, Okon reiterated that oil spills, gas flaring, and poor remediation had left Ogoniland’s land, water, and air severely polluted. “The health and livelihoods of the Ogoni people have been devastated, with no accountability from oil companies and insufficient government action,” she said.
The coalition demanded:
• A halt to oil extraction plans until comprehensive consultations with Ogoni communities are conducted.
• Immediate allocation of $1 trillion for environmental restoration and compensation.
• Full implementation of the UNEP report and increased funding for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
• Re-examination of the trial of the Ogoni 13 and stringent enforcement of environmental regulations on oil companies.
Okon further called for posthumous recognition of Ken Saro-Wiwa as an environmental hero, emphasizing that justice, environmental restoration, and community empowerment must precede any oil extraction discussions.
The coalition, which includes groups like the Ogoni Solidarity Forum and Environmental Rights Action, aims to ensure sustainable development and justice for the people of Ogoniland, advocating for a future free from fossil fuel dependency and environmental neglect.
