The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP and the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI) have called on the Federal Government to adopt a peaceful and consultative approach in its quest to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land, Rivers State.
President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, who spoke on behalf of both groups during an interaction with Ogoni youths in Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area, said the people of Ogoni are opposed to any forceful attempt to resume oil production in their communities.
Nsuke referenced the MOSOP congress of November 30, 2024, which mandated the organization to engage the government in negotiating Ogoni interests in the oil and gas sector.
He stressed that the people are still reeling from the injustices of the past and should not be subjected to renewed state repression.
He urged the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to be more humane and objective in addressing the Ogoni issue, cautioning that recent actions from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) were undermining the trust built through earlier community sensitization by MOSOP.
“I think the NSA is getting the wrong advice on the true position of things in Ogoni. The issue of resuming oil production in Ogoni is very sensitive and must be handled with deeper consultations to address underlying problems first,” Nsuke said.
He warned that the recent posture of the federal government could derail progress and risk plunging the region back into crisis reminiscent of the 1990s.
“It is regrettable that the actions from the ONSA are fast destroying the gains of earlier efforts to persuade the Ogoni people to consider oil resumption. The fear now is that we are fast being driven back to 1993 by the desperation of those ignoring community voices,” he stated.
Describing Ribadu’s recent comments as “provocative,” Nsuke said, “He should have known about the sensitive nature of oil production in Ogoni and how seriously the people take it. It would have been better to expand the scope of consultations and address Ogoni demands using persuasion, not force.”
Nsuke emphasized that the Ogoni struggle has always been rooted in justice and not merely about revenue generation. He reminded the government that Ogoni land remains heavily polluted, with many residents still lacking access to clean water and basic infrastructure.
“By 1999, at least 30 Ogoni villages were destroyed, and some 4,000 Ogonis had lost their lives in the struggle. What MOSOP and OLI are demanding are basic rights—for the living and the dead,” he said.
He concluded by urging the federal government to embrace genuine dialogue and respect the dignity of the Ogoni people. “We must not always deploy state power to force outcomes. In Ogoni, we have all shown willingness to talk. Let’s not provoke people into the streets again.”
