Nigeria: Host Communities Outline Conditions for Resumption of Oil Exploration in Ogoniland

By Blessing Ibunge

Host communities in Ogoni, Rivers State have outlined conditions to the federal government for the resumption of oil exploration and exploitation in the area.

This as the group has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari's led federal government to relocate all host communities and impacted homes to another settlement due to the high level of environmental degradation, before any environmental activities and oil and gas business should be carried.

The host communities gave the conditions in a letter sent to President Buhari, after a meeting of leaders of oil host communities held in Bera, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, and signed by the leaders of the oil host communities in Bera, Gokana LGA.

The letter was read on Saturday, during the flag-off of Green Energy Revolution project in collaboration with Sun Energy Community Development Initiative in Gokana.

The President of Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr Douglas Fabeke who read the letter on behalf of the host communities, said they are ready to withdraw all pending cases in courts over various decrees of injuries meted to the Ogoniland and her people, if the federal Government demonstrates sincerity of purpose in the implementation of all their request.

Fabeke said the host communities would produce a drafted master plan, which are the final resolutions of its Ogoni economic development recovery plans to Mr. President.

He said the master plan would serve as the blueprint and strategic models for the development of Ogoniland, cutting across agriculture, marine, aviation, health, power, water resources, environmental restoration and management, re-education, socio-political change, oil and gas, refinery, military, security formations and others.

The letter reads in parts "Besides, the Host Communities shall include in the final draft, the following developmental and impactful areas for Mr. President's implementation, namely Scholarship, TrustFund, Payment of compensation.

"Demonstration of practical steps for restoration of our polluted environment and development of the land through complete and total implementation of UNEP Report's recommendations, including the emergency measures, which are neglected by the ongoing clean up exercise. "

This article originally appeared on This Day.

Photo: Friends of the Earth