Ogonis are kicking against resumption of oil activities in the their land especially the exploration of OML Eleven.
A Frontline Environmental activist, Celestine Akpobari in an
interview with our correspondent said the plan to begin oil exploration
when impacted sites are yet to be cleaned is insensitive.
Akpobari said until the clean up effectively takes off, Ogonis are not willing to allow exploration of crude in the area.
“Shell, NNPC, NPDC and Robo-Michael are about to cause another
bloodbath in Ogoni land and I can tell you that they will not succeed.
“If these companies were sensible enough they would have come to ask questions.
“Since we launched our agitation as a people over 2,000 persons have
been killed from this struggle. Even the cleanup we are still begging
the Federal Government to release funds.
“We have not gotten up to any stage and people will think they can
just wake up and feel they can just come and bribe their way or force
their way on a people.
“What is happening means that we will be sleeping one day and Shell
with NNPC or Robo-Michael will use soldiers to lay their pipelines as
they did in the 90s.
“That will not happen especially when some of us are still alive,” Celestine said.
Also speaking, Godspower Igwe and Savior Oscar who are Youth Leaders
in Ogoni cautioned prospective oil companies to wait until the clean up
begins proper before lobbying to resume oil exploration.
They said youths will mobilize to resist the forceful resumption of exploration in any part Ogoni Land.
Godspower said, “What we want is to see that everything that has to
do with the actualization of a clean environment is achieved.
“We don’t want a situation where Ogoni youths, stakeholders,
traditional rulers, and activists will be shifting attention in the
actuation of bringing back oil exploration in Ogoni Land.”
It will interest you to know that indigenous oil companies have
approached some leaders of Ogoni on their intention to explore crude in
their land.