The Federal Government has expressed optimism about resuming oil exploration activities in Ogoniland, Rivers State, following confidence-building measures put in place.
Oil exploration has been halted for over 30 years due to the extra-judicial murder of environmental rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis.
However, the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), late 2024, began moves to resume oil exploration in the area.
During a meeting between the Ogoni Dialogue Committee and the federal government early this year, they demanded some confidence building measures to be put in place by the federal government to facilitate their negotiation with the communities.
Leading a delegation from the ONSA, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, the Director of Energy Security Directorate, alongside officials from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) and its Joint partners including officials from Rivers State Government, while visiting various facilities in Ogoniland on Tuesday, said the visit was part of the confidence building measures to facilitate the negotiation process between Federal Government and the Ogoni people.
Flag-Amachree said that the purpose of the visit was to review the implementation of the confidence building measures as part of the agreements between the federal government and the Ogoni community
He also said that the visit was aimed at planning for future negotiations based on the Ogoni-wide consultations conducted by the Dialogue Committee.
He said the visit highlighted federal government’s renewed commitment to fostering development, dialogue, and peace in Ogoni, with ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable growth in the region.
Speaking with journalists during the visit, Flag-Amachree said they were in Ogoniland to assess facilities that require immediate attention as part of the federal government’s commitment towards keeping parts of the agreement with the Ogoni people.
“We have gone round all the various facilities. You are aware that the Federal Government and the people of Ogoni have been discussing and we have good dialogue in terms of resumption of oil exploration here in Ogoniland and critical facilities were agreed upon by the Federal Government and the Dialogue Committee to help in building confidence around the genuine Federal Government’s initiative to resume oil exploration in Ogoni.
” So, we have come to do an on-the-spot assessment to look at what can be done quickly,” he said .
Flag-Amachree restated the federal government commitment towards meeting the agreement reached with the Ogoni people as a prerequisite for the negotiation process.
“On behalf of the Federal Government, we want to restate our sincere seriousness in terms of meeting our own part of the agreement in the ongoing dialogue with the Ogoni communities.
”We are also using this opportunity to thank the communities for their readiness and all what they have been doing to ensure that we have a smooth operation here in Ogoniland.
“We are very hopeful that very soon we will have oil activities resume in Ogoniland and that will attract alot of benefits to the Ogoni people,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Professor Don Baridam commended the federal government’s efforts in fulfilling the agreements reached with the Ogoni people.
Baridam acknowledged that most of the agreement reached between the Ogoni people and the Federal Government as confidence building measures were being implemented.
“When we met with the Federal Government sometime ago, we presented some confidence building measures that they must take before we start talking with the people.
”One of them was the completion of the East-West Road, the second was signing of the Bill of the Federal University of Environment Technology into law.
”We also requested for rehabilitation of some of our hospitals and employment of some of our youths in the NNPCL, and I’m happy to say that that road construction is ongoing.
”This is the first time we the Ogoni people have a sense of belonging.
“We have also visited some of the hospitals and I think they have done well by trying to fulfil some of the demands we gave to them.
”We thank them and I want to say that we are happy with the government, ” he said.
On the possibility of the Federal University of Environment Technology, Saakpenwa/Koroma Tai to begin academic activities this year, Professor Baridam who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the newly constituted board of the university expressed optimism that the school would begin its first session in October, 2025.
“I think we can actually start from here (Saakpenwa Campus) before the end of October 2025.
” We are going to come back again when the Vice Chancellor is around to assess what we have on ground and then put some finishing touches to kickstart,” Baridam said.
