Calls for resumption of abandoned Eleme section of East-West Road
The Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) has declared that it will not sign the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government on the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland until credible and authentic congresses are conducted across the four Ogoni local government areas of Rivers State.
The committee said the congresses were essential to securing the consent and confidence of the Ogoni people, insisting that any agreement reached with the Federal Government must enjoy broad-based acceptance and reflect the collective interests of the communities.
The position followed a meeting of 35 members of the ODC in Port Harcourt, where the committee reviewed the proposed MoU, ongoing consultations and efforts to resolve the longstanding Ogoni crisis and facilitate the proposed return of oil exploration to the area.
The committee also expressed concern over the Federal Government’s commitment to previously agreed confidence-building projects, particularly the construction of the Eleme section of the East-West Road, and urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate greater commitment to the development initiatives.
Speaking after the meeting, the GbeneMene of Tai Kingdom and Convener and Coordinator of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty, King Samuel Nnee, called for unity among members of the committee, describing cooperation and sustained engagement as critical to the success of the dialogue.
Nnee commended President Tinubu for his efforts towards resolving the Ogoni crisis and facilitating the proposed resumption of oil exploration. He also acknowledged the contributions of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi.
He described the engagement process as painstaking and challenging but expressed optimism that patience, unity and cooperation would produce the desired outcome.
Similarly, the King of Eleme, His Royal Majesty, King Philip Osaro Obele, reaffirmed the committee’s determination to remain united and protect the interests of all Ogoni communities in the proposed agreement.
Obele assured the people that the committee would pursue genuine consultations before reaching any final agreement, stressing that the MoU would not be signed until credible congresses had been conducted.
He said the congresses would be organised and hosted by the elected chairmen of the four Ogoni local government councils in accordance with the committee’s resolutions.
On the proposed agreement, the Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt and Senior Lecturer at Rivers State University, Rev. Monsignor Dr Pius Kii, disclosed that the committee had resolved to support the Federal Government’s efforts to resume oil exploration in Ogoniland for the benefit of Nigeria and the Ogoni people.
He said members had also agreed to conclude the harmonisation of the proposed MoU in line with resolutions reached at previous meetings.
According to Kii, the chairmen of the four Ogoni local government areas Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, who were mandated to sensitise and engage their respective communities ahead of the congresses, had reported significant progress.
He explained that the council chairmen were expected to complete the assignment within the timeline set by the committee, after which the harmonised MoU would be presented to the respective local government congresses for consideration.
Meanwhile, a member of the committee, Professor Innocent Barikor, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently resume work on abandoned confidence-building projects, particularly the Eleme section of the East-West Road.
Barikor maintained that the implementation of the projects was necessary to restore public confidence and demonstrate the government’s sincerity in the ongoing dialogue.
He stressed that the Ogoni people needed tangible evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment, noting that visible development initiatives would help reassure the communities about the benefits of the engagement process.
The committee’s position comes amid continuing differences among Ogoni stakeholders over the proposed return of oil exploration, the terms of engagement and the extent of community participation.
Recent reports indicate that while the ODC has expressed support for the Federal Government’s efforts, other Ogoni groups have raised concerns about the transparency of the negotiations, environmental protection and whether the views of ordinary community members are adequately represented. Some have also called for the proposed MoU to be made available for wider public scrutiny before any agreement is concluded.
The development underscores the delicate nature of the negotiations, which seek to balance the Federal Government’s interest in resuming oil production with the Ogoni people’s demands for meaningful participation, development commitments and safeguards against a recurrence of past environmental and social grievances.
For the dialogue process to achieve lasting success, the proposed congresses, the implementation of confidence-building projects and the resolution of outstanding concerns will remain crucial to securing public trust and acceptance of any eventual agreement.
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