Taiwo Popoola
A group under the aegis of the Ogoni Voice Achievers Foundation, OVAF, has rejected the federal government’s plan to restart oil exploration in Ogoniland.
This was as it demanded that no operations commence until a full environmental cleanup is completed and historical justice, including the exoneration of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists, is secured.
The Founder and Board of Trustees Chairman of the group, Gospel Barifii Gokana, in a statement, described the government’s approach as “deeply flawed, unjust, and unacceptable.”
It warned that resuming exploration without addressing decades of neglect and pollution could stir resentment, social unrest, and renewed conflict.
This is coming in response to reports that the government had justified its plans for oil restart on the grounds of economic recovery and energy needs.
However, Gokana faulted that position, pointing to a lack of genuine consultation with the Ogoni people.
“Only a select few have been invited into closed-door negotiations. This selective engagement fails the test of free, prior, and informed consent, which is… a right under international human rights norms,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as an “absence” of transparency, accusing the government of making decisions in Abuja offices without deep consideration of what Ogoni communities have suffered historically.
