The leadership of Ogoni Ethnic Nationality on Friday, October 22, 2021, paid a courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja where issues affecting the Ogoni were tabled.
Top among issues contained in an address presented at the occasion, was the resumption of oil exploration activities in the oil rich area which has been in the limbo for over two decades.
In the address which was jointly signed by the President, Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers and Gbenemene Tai, HRM, King G.N.K. Giniwa; Senator representing South East Senatorial District, Senator Barinadaa Mpigi; President of KAGOTE, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah and Senator Benneth Birabi, the Ogoni leaders expressed their readiness for dialogue with the federal government.
Such discussions, they insist, must be birthed on the involvement and participation of Ogoni people to achieve sustainable progress to the generality of the federation.
While the Ogonis saw the President’s acceptance of the courtesy visit as a testimony to his commitment to inclusive governance, they restated their stand for a united Nigeria, stressing that the survival of the Ogoni is best guaranteed in the larger Nigerian nation.
On the raging issue of the UNEP report and recommendations of amelioration and remediation of devastated Ogoniland, the leaders frowned at the slow pace of implementation, the Ogoni leaders appealed to Buhari to give appropriate directives to ensure the smooth and speedy implementation of the project.
“Since the inauguration of the project, there has been reluctance on the part of some partners to contribute to its funding”, they said, and sought the President’s intervention so the contributors would fulfill their financial obligations.
“May we also use this opportunity to call Mr. President’s attention to a key ingredient of the amelioration and remediation project which is to provide portable water to the Ogoni communities that has not progressed significantly.
We request your kind intervention for the speedy execution of additional water projects, the remediation and other livelihood programs”, the Ogonis pleaded.
Another area of priority was the ongoing construction work on the Bodo-Bonny Road, which the Ogoni leaders appealed for its completion and commissioning by the current administration.
On the worsening state of the East-West Road, they frowned at the apparent neglect by the federal government given its importance as the only gateway to Ogoniland from the rest of the country.
“Mr. President may wish to consider the execution of this project under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) rather than the present arrangement under the auspices of the Ministry of Delta Affairs.
This PIDF framework is also applicable to the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, Second Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kano Expressway which are currently progressing at great pace. These are signature projects of your administration”, they stated.
Also in the address is the bill for an Act to establish the Federal University of Environmental Technology, Saakpenwa-Ogoni which has already been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
According to them, “Our experience with the cleanup thus far shows that the process and technology are all imported, considering the extent of pollution across the Niger Delta and other parts of the country where exploration and mining activities are currently taking place.
It becomes desirable that we have a specialized educational institution that can develop and sustain the gains and achievements from the cleanup process”
