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Ogoni Group Rejects FG’s Oil Exploration Plans,Gives Non Negotiable Conditions
The Ogoni Voice Achievers Foundation (OVAF) has rejected the federal government’s plan to restart oil exploration in Ogoniland, demanding 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.
In a statement signed by OVAF’s Founder and Board of Trustees Chairman, Hon. Ambassador Gospel Barifii Gokana, the group 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.
The foundation’s intervention comes in response to reports that the government had justified its plans for oil restart on the grounds of economic recovery and energy needs.
But Ambassador 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.
OVAF expressed alarm over the lack of public information on environmental impact assessments, benefit-sharing arrangements, and safety standards.
Central to the group’s stance is the federal government’s failure to fully implement the recommendations of the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, which documented extensive oil pollution in Ogoniland.
“To resume oil exploration without first fully implementing UNEP recommendations is both ethically wrong and likely to compound the suffering of Ogoni people,” Gokana said, adding that the work of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has so far been insufficient.
The group laid out non-negotiable conditions, including a halt to new exploration until the UNEP report is fully implemented, reparations are determined, and a genuinely inclusive stakeholder process is established, involving OVAF, MOSOP, women, youth, and traditional councils.
It further demanded binding legal instruments for equitable benefit sharing and independent oversight of environmental safety.
In a symbolic appeal, OVAF called for the exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists executed in 1995, saying it was necessary for restoring dignity to affected communities.
Ambassador Gokana further made a direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu and relevant agencies “to listen to the voices of the Ogoni people… and to respect our rights, lives, lands, and futures.”
Former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has shared an amusing anecdote about the unique injury treatment preferred by his Nigerian ex-teammates, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.
Iheanacho and Ndidi became integral members of the Foxes squad after joining in 2017, playing a crucial role in the club’s historic 2021 FA Cup victory.
The duo shared a strong bond with Vardy during their time at the King Power Stadium, often engaging in light-hearted banter with their teammates.
Vardy, a Leicester City legend after 13 years with the club, departed last summer for Serie A side Cremonese. Iheanacho and Ndidi have also since moved on from the Foxes.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Vardy recounted how the Super Eagles stars had a peculiar remedy for minor injuries.
He explained that Iheanacho and Ndidi would insist on using a special “juju cream” brought back from Nigeria, refusing any other oils or balms offered by the club’s medical staff.
“They used to get injured, just little knocks, then they’d go back to Nigeria for one day literally, come back, and then they’ve got a nice big tub of juju cream,” Vardy said.
“That was the only thing that the masseuses were allowed to massage on the injured areas. They used to tell us that they used to get it from a Nigerian witch doctor.”
While Vardy’s story adds a humorous, if slightly controversial, layer to the players’ time at the club, the “juju cream” was likely part of a running joke.
Ndidi later clarified on social media that the substance was simply local shea butter, known as ‘ori’ in Nigeria.
Some aspirants loyal to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who failed to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) tickets in the recently concluded National Assembly primaries, have approached the court to challenge the outcome of the exercise.
The aggrieved aspirants are challenging the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the results of the primaries and the list of candidates submitted by the party to the electoral body.
Report quoted sources within the party as saying the aspirants decided to seek judicial redress after expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome of the primaries.
The aspirants have reportedly engaged the services of the law firm of Remi Olatubora, SAN, to challenge the outcome of the exercise, the report also mentioned.
Those involved include Gbenga Elegbeleye (Ondo North Senatorial District), Dr Taiwo Fasoranti (Ondo Central Senatorial District), Leke Akingboye (Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency), Rasaq Obe (Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency), Kayode Ijalana (Owo/Ose Federal Constituency), Oyerinmade Matthew (Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency), and Olumuyiwa Daramola (Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency).
The legal action has reportedly generated concerns among some party stakeholders, who fear it could affect the APC’s preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has slammed the Federal Government over its gifts of houses to judges.
Speaking at the Housing TV Africa on Thursday, Falana demanded the provision of the law that stipulated such a gesture.
He charged the Federal Government to also build houses for university professors and other civil and public servants, noting that what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.
“”We have got to a stage in the country where we have to challenge the special privileges given to the rich and top public officers in the country.
“I was very sad when I saw that the Federal Government was handing over the keys of houses to judges, and I asked myself, ‘Under what law are we operating?’ Because it’s discriminatory and illegal.
“You treat everyone equally in our country. So you can’t take out judges. Judges are entitled to accommodation by the way. They must live comfortably and we’ll secured.
“But, other citizens must be equally provided for. If you don’t do it, you can be challenged, and that is going to happen very soon because what is good for the goose is good for the gander,” he said.
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