The Ogoni Liberation Initiative has raised fresh concerns over ongoing oil field activities in Ogoni, warning that a proposed memorandum of understanding on resumption risks sidelining key community demands and shrinking Ogoni’s recognised oil assets.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, the President of Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr Fabeke Douglas detailed what he described as critical updates on operations in Tai Local Government Area and discrepancies in field classifications under the new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) arrangement.
Under the current NNPCL setup, he said, oil wells around Okoloma have been classified as non-Ogoni fields under PML 94. The total number of oil fields recognised within Ogoni has been reduced to 15. Tai LGA is allocated only two fields Korokoro under PML 93 and Tai under PML 100, while Gokana is listed with Bomu (PML 87) and Bodo (PML 85).
Douglas recalled leading an NNPCL verification team to Ogoni under international supervision, during which data showed an increase in oil fields.
He noted the recommendation which recognises K-Dere as a separate field, according separate status to Bera and adjoining communities, and properly capturing fields in Babe, Kpean and Nyokhana but the current documentation, according to him recognises only Yorla (PML 100) and Nyo-Kuru/Taabaa (PML 93), omitting the Bangha area of Dae 1 and 2 as well as the Lueku area that featured in the earlier report. Boundary communities’ fields have also been classified as non-Ogoni.
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On the proposed MOU for oil resumption, Douglas referred to a circulating communiqué listing confidence-building measures: employment for qualified Ogoni indigenes, establishment of a Federal University of Environmental Technology, improved healthcare facilities, and an Ogoni Industrial Park.
He described commendation of NNPCL for fulfilling these as “worrisome and very confusing.”
He noted that the Dialogue Committee’s own report had listed additional key demands of the Ogoni people, including the creation of Bori State, clarification and accountability on the $300 million, and completion of the Ogoni environmental clean-up. “Where are we on these three demands?” he asked.
Douglas advised the committee to ensure all activities and negotiations remain transparent and clearly communicated to the Ogoni people.
He cautioned against hurried agreements, stating that major discrepancies require pause and reflection. Signing any resumption deal without addressing the issues, he warned, would violate the rights and expectations of the people and could trigger further agitation.
He also highlighted the omission of ongoing operations in Tai LGA in an address prepared for the Federal Government, which focused only on Eleme, describing the gap as critical and requiring correction.
“Our repeated inquiries are not borne out of disrespect,” Douglas wrote. “We occupy a position that requires us to seek necessary information in order to provide balanced and accurate correspondence to stakeholders, both locally and internationally.
The operations of the Committee must align with both international best practices and local expectations to ensure legitimacy, peace, and sustainable development in Ogoni.”
