By Ken Asinobi
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has announced its readiness to engage in structured negotiations following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to reopen dialogue on oil production in Ogoniland.
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Monday, leaser of MOSOP, Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu said the move marked a significant development after more than three decades of halted oil operations since the 1993 shutdown.
The MOSOP leader welcomed the President’s recent order to the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and other stakeholders, directing them to pursue continuous engagement and work out modalities for resuming oil production in Ogoniland.
The organization described this as a historic moment, emphasizing that for the first time in over 30 years, the Ogoni people are being invited not just to the negotiation table but to shape the terms of engagement.
However, Wai-Ogosu insisted that these talks must be firmly anchored on principles of justice, equity, and respect for the Ogoni people’s right to self-determination over their resources.
The group stressed that negotiations should be based on genuine partnership rather than paternalism, with binding frameworks ensuring environmental restoration, fair benefit-sharing, security, and community ownership.
MOSOP said the Ogoni people will not enter negotiations divided or unprepared.
“We shall engage not as victims seeking appeasement, but as stakeholders with historical, moral, and economic leverage,” the group declared.
To strengthen their position, MOSOP revealed plans to form a Technical Negotiation and Lobby Team comprising legal and human rights experts, energy economists, environmental scientists, development planners, and professional policy lobbyists.
The team’s role will be to anchor negotiations in solid data, legal frameworks, and strategic planning.
The group called on President Tinubu, NNPCL, the National Security Adviser, and other involved parties to ensure complete transparency throughout the process.
MOSOP demanded that no external entities be imposed on the Ogoni people without broad-based consent and that all resolutions be legally binding and subject to third-party oversight.
MOSOP also referred to the “simplified Ogoni Bill of Rights,” a comprehensive report submitted to President Tinubu, as the moral compass for forthcoming engagements.
The group concluded by asserting that after 31 years of resisting exploitation, the Ogoni people are prepared to transition from resistance to responsible partnership — but only under dignified and equitable terms. With the ball now in motion, MOSOP emphasizes that history is watching, and they stand ready to defend the interests of Ogoniland and its communities in this new chapter of negotiation.
