The Gbo Kabaari, the Ogoni Elders Forum says there is no iota of truth making round that, the Nigerian Petroleum Development, (NPDC), the exploration arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC has concluded plans for the resumption of oil and gas exploitation in Ogoni after agreement with the Ogoni people led by an NGO named “Ogoni Liberation Initiative”.
In a statement made available to Metronetworknews, the Chairman, Gbo Kabaari Ogoni, Chief Monday Abueh Mni said after years of huge sacrifice for better treatment by oil companies, may friends and sympathisers across the globe, who may have been deceived by a press statement need to be aware when genuine progress has been made.
The statement also added that, judging from some agonizing lessons of history, they fear that this might be a sinister plan to precipitate another round of crisis that would be used as an excuse to once again eliminate the Ogoni leadership and his people.
The statement also categorically states that, there has not been any conversation with the Ogoni leadership and no agreement has been reached as alleged or at all.
The chairman on behalf of the group said the issue of resumption of oil and gas production activities in Ogoni is a very sensitive issue requiring a pain staking multi-stakeholders consultation which has not occured.
He said the Ogoni ethnic nationality cannot be represented in such conversation by an NGO of doubtful pedigree which they understand has been hoodwinking and coercing some unsuspecting village chiefs into signing papers to them in some bogus promises.
The group calls on the Ogoni people to be steadfast and vigilant and resist any attempt at using the current situation or any other similar guise to provoke any violence or division in the land.
