OML 11 : Group Vows To Resist FG Negotiations With Sahara Group

By Roland Ekama, Lagos

A Non Governmental Organization under the auspices of the Ogoni Liberation Initiative has vowed to resist any form of agreement between the government and Sahara Energy, saying that people of Ogoni land cannot be cowed without due consultations on the OML 11 block.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos recently on the preparation of a book launch , President of the group, Reverend Fabeke Douglas said that the NGO was aware of government involvement with Sahara Energy to take over OML 11 noting that people of the communities would not entertain any form negotiations with the energy firm.

Fabeke reiterated that on no occasion the government should enter any form of agreement with Sahara Energy to enter their communities forcefully without obtaining license from the Ogoni people.

He lamented that the people of Ogoni land have learnt their lessons with oil giant Shell in the past.

The President said:” The evil that Shell perpetrated against Ogoni people was a crime against humanity as she stopped at nothing to push toward her brutality against the people.

“Most evidently in 1995 ,Shell sponsored the killings of our people including Late Ken Saro Wiwa ,which was guilty of human right abuses.

” The action of Shell was a monstrous injustice against Ogoni people.

“We are also aware that the government agency have reached an agreement with Sahara Energy to take over OML 11,to this end we want to make it clear that the Ogoni people cannot be caged with such agreement to forcefully enter their land without obtaining social license from the Ogoni people.

” I know that the federal government will not repeat the same mistake over and over again, that can lead to breakdown of law and insecurity by enforcing an investor on the people without seeking the consent of the people through a roundtable negotiation.

He also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari initiative to clean up Ogoni land over oil spillage on aquatic lives and environmental pollution in the region but called for the suspension of the project over failure on the part of the contractors to provide social amenities for the people.

According to him, very little has been done either to clean up environmental pollution resulting from over three decades of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) operations or to compensate the communities mostly adversely affected.

Fabeke stressed that : “A clean up initiative involving the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has yielded on result pointing out that the NGO has commenced the issue of compensation for the Ogoni people as a way forward to resolve crisis”.