The Ogoni people of Rivers State have called on the Federal Government and Shell to fully implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendations on the Ogoniland cleanup, insisting that oil exploration must not resume until environmental restoration and justice are achieved.
The people accused those responsible for the remediation exercise of neglecting critical UNEP recommendations and failing to meet the required environmental standards.
The position was reiterated during a remembrance programme organised by the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, in honour of late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other heroes of the Ogoni struggle.
MOSOP President, Lazarus Tamana, said Saro-Wiwa was executed for demanding environmental protection and the right of the Ogoni people to control their affairs.
He pledged to rebuild MOSOP, expressing concern over internal divisions that had weakened the organisation.
Environmental activist Sebastian Kpalap criticised the ongoing cleanup, particularly the failure to provide emergency potable water to oil-contaminated communities as recommended by UNEP.
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Another discussant, Bayo Dornubari, warned against using political concessions, including the proposed creation of an Ogoni State, to secure the people’s approval for renewed oil exploration.
The moderator, Arochukwu Paul Ogbonna, insisted that Shell must take responsibility for decades of environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
Speaking for the Justice for Nigeria Coalition, Simon Taylor demanded an end to delays in the remediation process, while coalition member Olanrewaju Suraju urged the Ogoni people to remain united in their struggle for environmental justice.
Another coalition member, Nick Hildyard, accused oil companies of prioritising profits over the welfare of host communities and environmental protection.
Italian activist Antonio Recommon also pledged continued international solidarity and promised to sustain pressure on Shell to compensate for environmental damage.
The event featured a panel discussion involving members of the international Justice for Nigeria Coalition and environmental and human rights activists from Nigeria and Europe.
The speakers collectively demanded full implementation of the UNEP recommendations, accountability from oil companies, greater community participation, and a halt to oil exploration until the grievances of the Ogoni people are addressed.
They maintained that the sacrifices of Saro-Wiwa and other fallen heroes must translate into genuine environmental restoration, justice and sustainable development in Ogoniland.
