Tension flared on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Rivers State Government over alleged illegal operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The meeting, held under the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs and chaired by the Permanent Secretary, who represented the Sole Administrator, brought together representatives of the Ban-goi, Bunu, Oloko 1 and 2, Ledor, and Dumbee communities, alongside NNPCL officials.
The session followed a petition by Rev. Dr. Douglas Fabeke, Leader of Ogoni Liberation Initiative, who had earlier alerted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and security agencies about the company’s operations affecting the boundaries of Ogoni communities, with camps reportedly located in Mumba and Tumbee near Ledor.
During the meeting, government officials announced that, for now, only security-related jobs would be made available to Ogoni youths by NNPCL. This announcement sparked outrage from Dr. Fabeke, who raised a point of order, warning against what he described as attempts to marginalise and divide the Ogoni people.
Fabeke maintained that only the Federal Government has the authority to negotiate oil operations in Ogoni, not the state government or NNPCL. He cautioned community representatives against accepting inducements, insisting such offers were designed to weaken Ogoni’s collective struggle.
Also Read: Group Petitions Tinubu Over Alleged Unauthorized Oil Exploration
“Our land was paid for with the blood and suffering of our people. Any plan to hand over the Ogoni oil fields to strangers is dead on arrival. We will never allow our heritage to be stolen in the name of development,” Fabeke declared.
He further accused NNPCL and its allies of plotting a colonial-style takeover of Ogoni resources and urged communities to remain law-abiding but vigilant, insisting that any engagement in Ogoni must involve broad-based and just participation.
The meeting ended without resolution amid rising tensions, with Dr. Fabeke urging communities to boycott further meetings lacking transparency and commitment to genuine dialogue. He also questioned how NNPCL commenced operations in communities where many residents remain displaced or living as refugees.
The Ogoni Liberation Initiative, through its Information and Communications Officer, Gonee Akpobari Sakpughi, reaffirmed its stance against what it described as illegal operations and vowed to continue resisting any backdoor arrangements.
