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Tag: Ogoniland

  • Leadership crisis brews in Ogoni over KAGOTE

    Fresh crisis is brewing in the crude oil and gas- rich Ogoniland in Rivers State over leadership of its apex socio-cultural organisation, KAGOTE, an acronym for the four Local Government Areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.

    Chairman of KAGOTE’s electoral body, Chief Alabi Korsi, who is a pioneer member of the organisation, told our reporter on Tuesday in Port Harcourt a former Rivers Deputy Speaker Dr Charles Nwile emerged the new president in an election on Monday.

    Korsi disclosed that Nwile polled 44 votes to defeat his co-contestant, Dr. Peter Medee, the “outgone” President, who polled 15 votes.

    He also stated the three-year tenure of Medee, a senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), ended last December while urging all Ogoni people to massively support Nwile to succeed.

    Nwile, on phone with our correspondent, described his election as a call to service and not for self aggrandisement.

    Nwile urged Medee, members of his executive and their supporters to work with his executives to succeed and move Ogoni forward.

    But when contacted, Medee maintained he remained the President of KAGOTE, stating his second term would end in December 2019.

    Medee said: “No KAGOTE election took place in Port Harcourt on Monday. I was first elected in 2013 for three-year tenure.

    “I was re-elected in 2016 for another term of three years, which ends in December 2019.

    “In line with KAGOTE’s constitution, there is no provision for third term. Only two terms are allowed for members of the executive of the great organisation.”

    He also warned persons within and outside Ogoniland, whom he accused of attempting to cause crisis and confusion in KAGOTE to desist forthwith, insisting that KAGOTE remained an indivisible body under his leadership.

  • Ogoniland sues NNPC, others over plan to resume oil production

    The Conference of Ogoni Traditional Rulers and Chiefs have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the resumption of oil production on the OML 11 oilfields in Elema, Gokana, Khana and Tai Local Government Areas of Ogoniland.

    The Registered Trustees of Ogoni Liberation Initiative and Mr. Tim Okuntimo (for himself and on behalf of Federation of Ogoni Youth) are the other plaintiffs.

    The Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC), Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Ltd (NPDC) and Attorney-General of the Federation are the first to third defendants.

    The other defendants are Robomichael Ltd, Robomichael Oil Marketing Ltd, Bellema Refinery & Petrochemical Ltd, Bellema Oil Producing Ltd and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp).

    Through their lawyer, Mr. Dada Adekunle Awosika of D.A Awosika and Partners, the plaintiffs are praying for a declaration that the Federal Government cannot issue the mining license over the OML 11 oilfields until and unless the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) proposed/recommended cleanup and remediation exercise is undertaken and fully implemented.

    According to the plaintiffs, the first to third defendants must at least record some tangible milestones from the cleanup following years of environmental degradation of Ogoniland, its ecosystem and ecology.

    They are praying the court to hold that the planned resumption of oil exploration and production in OML 11 oilfield is “irregular and irresponsible when the entire plaintiffs’ land is desecrated and unsuitable for human habitation”.

    They asked the court for a declaration that any mining license granted the fourth to eight defendants is unlawful without first undertaking the UNEP proposed clean-up and remediation exercise.

    The plaintiffs sought a declaration that having not obtained a social license to operate the oilfields from them, any operatorship license granted the fourth to eight defendants is illegal, irregular, null and void.

    Besides, the plaintiffs urged the court to hold that the fourth to eight defendants “do not have the wherewithal, expertise and performance records to provide any kind of technical services in the operatorship and development of OML 11 oilfields.”

    They further prayed for an order setting aside any oil mining license or authorisation granted the fourth to eight defendants, as well as an order restraining the first to third defendants from issuing any oil mining license to the fourth to eight defendants pending the completion of total cleanup and remediation exercise in Ogoniland in line with UNEP recommendations.

    The plaintiffs prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the fourth to eight defendants or their agents from going into Ogoniland for the purpose of mining the OML 11 oilfields unless the UNEP recommendations are fully carried out.

    The plaintiffs, in their statement of claim, said oil exploration by SPDC from 1955 to 1993 resulted in “systemic environmental contamination of the plaintiffs’ land and oil spillages” due to “irregular and illegal practices by SPDC in its exploration and production activities around Ogoniland”.

    They said the “unwholesome oil practices” led to the contamination of their land, creeks and rivers, as well as environmental devastation.

    The plaintiffs said the technical installations made around OML 11 oilfields that pass through Ogoniland “continue to spew and spill crude oil on daily basis onto the Ogoni people’s land”, adding that the facilities abandoned since 1993 have never been decommissioned.

    They said successive administrations reached an understanding to ensure total cleanup of Ogoniland and that any further exploration and production in the oilfields shall be with their consent.

    They added that since UNEP released its report and recommendations in 2011/2012, the first to third defendants and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) “are yet to undertake any cleanup and remediation”.

    They urged the court to grant their reliefs as the plaintiffs and other indigenes of Ogoniland continue daily to suffer environmental health problems due to lack of portable drinking water, among others.

    Justice A. I. Chikere granted the plaintiffs leave to serve the fourth to eight defendants at their offices in Benin, Port Harcourt and Ikoyi through courier service.

    He adjourned until December 6 for report of service.

  • FG Confirms over $177m support for Ogoniland clean up

    The Federal Government ( FG ) on Tuesday said the sum of $177 million has been paid into the Ogoni clean-up account to remediate polluted lands in the Niger Delta region.

    Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin, disclosed this during a meeting with the British Deputy High Commissioner, Ms Laure Beaufils, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Jibrin said: “As I’m talking to you today, that account has been credited with over $177m dollars. This is what is supposed to be contributed by the oil majors, who as per the polluters pay principle, are to pay for cleaning and restoration of these degraded land.

    “UNEP recommended an initial bill of over a billion dollar to be used over a period of 5 years. With $177m this year for 2018, the balance of $23 is expected to come from the refineries and we have written to inform the president and he has given directives that the petroleum ministry should handle that issue. So, I believe before the end of the month, we should be able to get a remittance for the balance of $23m to make the $200 million.”

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    He described the clean-up as very important to the present administration stressing that it is one of the priorities of the federal government.

    “I’m aware that the British government is at the fore front of the climate issues strong hold. Environment issues are developmental issues and there is no way one can separate the two of them.

    “It is a global issues, Nigeria as you are aware is a huge country and it has over 9, 000 square kilometres of land mass”, he said.

    The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Ms Laure Beaufils, pledged her country commitment to environment issues and climate change in the country.

    “We came to talk about the blue economy which talks of the Commonwealth clear oceans alliance and given how rich the Nigeria ecosystem is and the oceans, we have come to discuss how we can further support Nigeria engagement in the alliance and what are the opportunities and strategy to move forward.”

    She also harped on the environmental damage in the Niger delta region.

    “So, we are here to discuss with the Hon. Minister and his team, what more can be done to support and salvage the Ogoni land clean up. We know a lot has been put in place and we celebrate the fact that the ministry is committed to put in place the right governance structure, to ensure that the clean-up is carried out and done through the right system,” she said.

  • Ogoni cleanup fund intact says BOT

    …will not be diverted, FG assures stakeholders

    The Federal Government has assured indigenes of Ogoniland in Rivers state the the funds meant for the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report, is sacrosanct to the project.

    The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jubril gave the assurance at the 2nd stakeholders meeting on the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoniland cleanup project by the Federal Ministry of Environment through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Friday.

    Represented in the event by a head of department in the ministry, Dr.  Ishaku Mohammed,  Jubril insisted that no part of the fund meant for the cleanup of the oil impacted sites in My homeland would be diverted into any other use, noting that Ogoni cleanup exercise will serve as a template for the cleanup of the entire Niger delta region.

    He said: “Funding is the area of concern. We have opened EXCO account. We assure that the money for the project are sacrosanct for the project and will not be diverted for other uses.

    “The structure of the process is formidable that no single member or individual can withdraw without going through the due process.

    “Provide credible feedback as concerns the clean up that is the only way we can appreciate the federal government for having the political will to implement the remediation.”

    Corroborating the Minister, the President of KAGOTE, a social cultural organization in Ogoniland, who is also a member of Board of Trustee (HYPREP), Dr. Peter Medee, disclosed that the board has successfully opened an account with a foreign bank, adding that the success would guarantee security of funds for the project.

    “The Ogoni Trust Fund has been incorporated. Two Ogonis are trustees in the fund. Ogoni can use the fund without interference from the federal government and it is done in such a way that change in administration will not affect the project.

    Read Also: Ogoni cleanup

    “No part of the fund for the cleanup is missing. We have received the fund from the International Oil Companies (IOCs) led by Shell. The first part of the money has been received and is now in the Ogoni Trust Fund. An Ogoni son is one of the three signatories to the account.

    “We have successfully opened an account with Standard Chartered Bank of London. We are now sure that the fund is secured. The structures for the cleanup are serious,” Medee said.

    Also, the President of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP and Member of the Governing Council, Leborsi Pyagbara, stated that Ogoni people want clean environment.

    He said: “We asked a question to stop Ogoni environment from devastation. It is only our collective will collective support that will make the project a success. For us, we I’ll continue to raise alarm.

    “I got news that all the funding for this year for the project have been provide. It is left for us to see house we can put things in place to see that the cleanup is carried out.”

    FG also assured that all the money so far paid for the sake of the process were intact in a designated account, adding that Ogoni Trust Fund has been incorporated.

    For Prof. Ben Nannen, a member of the governing council for the exercise,  peace is paramount to the desired success in the project, but noted that this could only be achieved when the livelihood aspect of the Report is implemented with people economically empowered to be able to fend for themselves while the exercise lasts.

    “I appeal for peace in Ogoni. Now that the project is on we need peace so we can achieve the process.

    “We also need livelihood. It is as much important to us as the cleanup itself. We must find a way of putting food on the table of Ogonis.

    “What is there should be leveraged with donor agencies support to give a robust livelihood to the people.” he said.

  • Elders warn against resumption of oil production in Ogoniland

    A former President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee, a lawyer, and some Ogoni elders, have written to  Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, warning against the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland through the backdoor, thereby berating the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, for taking sides.

    The yesterday’s letter by the frontline Ogoni elders, titled: “A call for intervention in the engagement process and appeal against the introduction of unwholesome conditions for the clean-up and remediation of Ogoniland,” was signed by Mitee, Senator Bennett Birabi, Prof. Johnson Nna, Dr. Desmond Nbete, Rev’d Canon Abraham Olungwe and six others.

    Ogoni elders said: “The attention of Gbo Kabaari Ogoni, the Elders Forum of the Ogoni People, has been drawn to a so-called ‘Stakeholders’ Engagement with Ogoni People’ with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, slated for the 9th of July, 2018. The main objective of the meeting, according to the invitation sent to a few selected persons, is the resumption of oil and gas production activities in Ogoniland, on the basis of an alleged agreement of an earlier meeting that the resumption of oil and gas activities in Ogoni must now be a condition precedent for the much-hyped clean-up and remediation of the Ogoni environment under Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

    “Gbo Kabaari Ogoni is very saddened and concerned about these developments and wish to reiterate our position that, considering our recent history, the issue of resumption of oil and gas activities in Ogoni is such a sensitive matter that requires a thorough and painstaking engagement process with far-broader stakeholders, than the few handpicked persons currently engaged.

    “We are further seriously concerned that two years after the much-publicised flag-off ceremony for the clean-up of Ogoniland, as recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), by the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources is now tying the expected commencement of the clean-up and remediation process to resumption of oil and gas activities in our land by his preferred company.

    “We are saddened that a minister in a government avowedly committed to due process and anti-corruption should even contemplate making resumption of oil activities in Ogoni a condition for clean-up of our land, even when no attempt has been made to even engage on or redress the ills of the past. We find this clearly insensitive, to say the least, especially at a time that the Federal Government is revisiting the ills of the past in some other communities, with a view to redressing them.

    “We are aware that the so-

  • We have developed framework, timeline towards Ogoniland clean-up – Minister

    Says contractors will move to site by September

     

    The Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Jibril on Monday disclosed that plans have reached an advanced stage for the remediation exercise of the Ogoniland.

    Jibril said a framework and timeline for the clean-up exercise have been developed among other scheduled activities to December 2019.

    The Minister spoke during a national colloquium organised to celebrate 60 years birthday of Arc. Nnimmo Bassey in Abuja. It was themed: Environmental Conflicts and the Quest for National Identity.

    The Minister, who acknowledged impact of environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region stated contractors will move to site by September.

    He state that fishes are being destroyed, farmlands and the entire ecosystem largely affected.

    According to him, he had a change of perception during his visit on February 2016 to the region during a spill at the forcado.

    However, he restated commitment of the current administration to realising the clean-up exercise.

    Jibril noted that the current administration has no option except to do the clean-up exercise.

    He emphasized significant of the remediation saying it became imperative for the sake of the polluted communities.

    “One single trip in February 2016 in the forcados when there was a spill changed my entire perception about pollution in the region. I used to see fish fried with vegetable oil but by my trip that day made me see fish fried with crude oil. This has changed my opinion.  If you allow environmental issues to persist, it will destroy the ecosystem.

    Read Also: FG clears 140 contractors on Ogoniland clean-up

    “But we are determined to right the wrong. It is a promise made by the President.

    “We have developed a framework and close timeline that will take us to December 2019. The problem we are facing and we need Nnimmo to support is that people have been agitating for over 40 Years. A lot of promises have been made and not kept to the extent that they could not believe who will do the right thing anymore.”

    He added that, “We have already advertised and gotten 400 companies. 284 are local and 60 are foreign. Assessments are ongoing and we have delineated about 14 sites as at last week from 26. They have been handled over to the Consultants.

    “On the technical aspects, we have gotten 162 companies and nine of them are foreign who have qualified to the next stage. We intend to move to site and follow up by September.

    “We are under severe pressure to perform. We need to do it for the sake of our people.We have no option than to do the cleanup.”

    He prayed for the celebrant to witness another 60 years.

    In his citation read by Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami, revealed how Bassey emerged Co-founder of Environmental Rights Action and led the advocacy group for over 20 years campaigning for environmental safety.

    He was applauded for his commitment to protecting the ecosystem and advocating for environmental justice.

  • Ogoni Clean-Up: FG commences free medical outreach

    As part of process to clean-up of Ogoniland oil spill, the Federal Government has commenced phase two of its free medical outreach programme.

    The implementing office, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) stated that large number of residents, who had agonized for years under painful but treatable ailments, got medical attention during first phase of the project.

    Speaking at the event flag-off, HYPREP Project Coordinator of, Dr. Marvin Dekil, stated that the success recorded during the first phase got attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, who then approved implementation of the second phase.

    He noted that the residents lack good medical care while others were too impoverished to attend to their medical needs.

    In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Environment, Sagir Mohammed, HYPREP will soon launch Livelihoods Intervention Programme to offer entrepreneurial skills to Ogoni women and youths, to enable them create wealth for themselves, families and the communities.

    Dekil emphasized the importance of the second edition of the HYPREP health outreach programme, stressing that it precedes the remediation of impacted sites.

    “Presently, the publication for invitation for pre-qualification of contractors for remediation of hydrocarbon impacted sites in Ogoniland is in some national and international dailies. The exercise will be the culmination of all the processes we have put in place right from the inception of the Project Coordination Office in March, 2017”, he stated.

    He assured that, “the remediation of Ogoniland will be done only by experienced and best hands locally and internationally so as to achieve the desired results of restoring the environment back to an acceptable standard”.

    Dekil noted that while medical outreach is on-going, plans were underway for the provision of potable water through the reconstruction of existing water facilities in the land and the construction of new ones to fill the supply gaps in the communities.

    This he explained were part of deliberate efforts by the federal government to implement another key recommendation of the UNEP Report which is the restoration of livelihoods in impacted communities whose sources of living were affected by hydrocarbon pollution.

  • MOSOP rejects proposed maximum prison, cemetery in Ogoniland

    MOSOP rejects proposed maximum prison, cemetery in Ogoniland

    The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Chief Legborsi Pyagbara, has kicked against the Federal Government’s plan to build a maximum security prison and modern cemetery in Ogoniland.

    He alleged that the plan had been concluded by the Federal Ministry of Interior and would involve seizure of over forty-one hectares of land in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoniland where he said arable land had been conspicuously difficult to find.

    Pyagbara declared Ogoni people in the four Local Government Areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme of Rivers State in the Niger Delta would resist with the last drop of their blood the plan to build a maximum security prison and modern cemetery in peaceful Ogoniland.

    He spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, urging the federal government to jettison the plan at a time clean-up of the polluted Ogoni environment had not been done despite presentation of the report of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) on the environmental assessment of Ogoniland to the then President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on August 4, 2011.

    He lamented the project had not kicked off despite promises by President Muhammadu Buhari to fully implement the far-reaching recommendations.

    Pyagbara said: “ Ogoni people are opposed to this plan being hatched by the Federal Government against the Ogoni people.

    “This action is a demonstration of crass insensitivity and a total disdain for the Ogoni people by the Buhari-led administration.

    “We want to stress that this plan to build a maximum security prison facility and modern cemetery in Ogoni will never be acceptable to our people because we see this as a broader attempt to suppress Ogoni people and forcefully begin oil and gas exploration in the area, without any constructive engagement and discussion with the Ogoni people.”

    The MOSOP president insisted what Ogoni people wants from the federal government is appropriate/fast-paced clean-up and restoration of Ogoniland, not the building of maximum security prison facility.

  • Planned resumption of oil exploration: FG is creating crisis in Ogoniland –MOSOP President

    Planned resumption of oil exploration: FG is creating crisis in Ogoniland –MOSOP President

    THE President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Chief Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, has stated that the Federal Government was creating crisis in Ogoniland over the planned resumption of oil exploration by not bringing all the stakeholders together to discuss the way forward. He noted that endorsement of another oil company in Ogoni without clean-up of the polluted environment and stakeholders’ engagement, over 25 years after Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) was sent packing, would amount to hanging again the renowned environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. Pyagbara spoke yesterday at a news conference at MOSOP secretariat, off Ken Saro-Wiwa (formerly Stadium) Road, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    The Anglo/Dutch oil giant (Shell) was given quit notice by Ogoni people from the four Local Government Areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme in 1993, while Saro- Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists were hanged at the Port Harcourt Prisons on November 10, 1995, during the regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha. Two indigenous oil companies: Belema Oil Producing Limited and Robo-Michael Nigeria Limited, are lobbying to take over from SPDC, whose legal licence will expire in 2019, with Ogoni people yet to agree on the oil firm that will be operating the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11. Pyagbara said : “We call on the Federal Ministry of Environment to break down the wall of bureaucracy hampering the work of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to immediately cause the release of necessary funds for the agency to work with.

    The unmitigated delay between approvals and release of funds is killing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report implementation process. “There has been an unnecessary, uninformed and highly-funded campaign of calumny against MOSOP and its leadership in recent times, being coordinated by certain self-styled oil companies, led by Belema Oil Producing Limited and Robo-Michael Nigeria Limited. “It is well known that in the last five years, MOSOP has been in the vanguard of the campaign against resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, predicating its resistance on the need for a broad-based discussion among the three critical stakeholders to the Ogoni conflict: the Federal Government of Nigeria, SPDC and the Ogoni community.

    “Robo-Michael Limited has not been granted licence over OML 11. Robo-Michael Lim- Planned resumption of oil exploration: FG is creating crisis in Ogoniland –MOSOP President •Says endorsing another oil company in Ogoni without clean-up amounts to hanging Saro-Wiwa again’ n Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt n ited has interest in OML 11. There had been communication between Robo-Michael Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). There had been communication between Robo-Michael Limited and NAPIMMS. Let us even take it from the point that preliminary approval was made, subject to the concurrence of the various partners to the NNPC/SPDC Joint Venture.

    Have the various partners concurred now? No. “MOSOP is not opposed to the resumption of oil production in Ogoni, which will take place only after due consultation with the Ogoni people. “Oil companies wanting to do business in Ogoni must await the adoption of the report of the pan-Ogoni, Prof. Ben Naanen (of the University of Port Harcourt) Committee set up to draw a template for oil production in Ogoni, which will give such companies a level-playing ground for their engagement with the Ogoni community. “These are very interesting times in our dear Ogoniland. The oil industry has invaded Ogoniland to corrupt the soul of Ogoni with petrodollars. All the mushroom groups seeking for space in Ogoniland are all funded by the oil industry, particularly Belema Oil Producing Limited and Robo-Michael Limited, to destabilise Ogoni and foist some groups on Ogoni people.

  • ‘We appreciate govt’s efforts to address environmental nightmare in Ogoniland’

    ‘We appreciate govt’s efforts to address environmental nightmare in Ogoniland’

    The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Chief Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, has stated that Ogoni people appreciate the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to address the environmental nightmare in Ogoniland.

    He also admonished Ogoni people, especially the youths, to shun violence and criminality, but to continue to embrace the non-violent struggle that Ogoni people were known for, in order to attract the much-desired development to Ogoniland.

    Pyagbara, yesterday in Bori-Ogoni, the traditional headquarters of Ogoniland and the seat of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, noted that in the preceding 27 years of Ogoni struggle for a just and inclusive society, the continuing refusal of the federal government to enter into broad and genuine discussion with Ogoni people was a clear temptation to violence and anarchy, especially when others were already being rewarded with engagement, following such behaviour.

    He reiterated that Ogoni struggle was launched with the adoption of the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) on August 26, 1990, with the bill, submitted to the federal government, raising several questions on the place of the Ogoni people in the Nigeria project.

    MOSOP president said: “The government of Nigeria has failed to dialogue with Ogoni people on the issues raised in the OBR. We call on the government to seize the opportunity of this famed clean-up process to open a renewed dialogue on the Ogoni question, with the intent to addressing the key issues raised in the OBR.

    “The time for government to show it can engage with peaceful advocacy is now, particularly with the raging temptation to violent agitations, cutting across the country. A sincere government engagement with Ogoni can demonstrate it is possible to address injustice and engender a sense of national healing.

    “The efforts (of the federal government) are indeed too slow. While appreciating the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for the Ogoni medical outreach, which took place in the last week of December 2017 and saw to the offering of free medical services to over two thousand physically-challenged Ogoni people, we want to see a clear and focused intervention programme in the area of the emergency measures which will see the take-off of  the water intervention project, provide livelihood support training for women and carry out the health impact assessment in the first quarter of the year.”

    Pyagbara also stated that any further delay on the part of the federal government in the restoration of Ogoniland would be seen as an act of genocide being committed against Ogoni people.

    He assured that Ogoni people were ready to give all the necessary support for the implementation of the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the environmental assessment of Ogoniland, submitted to the then President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on August 4, 2011, so long as the walls around the current delay were brought down.

    On the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, the MOSOP president declared that all outstanding legacy issues must be addressed and the consent of Ogoni people should also be obtained, before it could take place.