The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has rejected the planned resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, urging the Federal Government to act with transparency and fairness in ongoing negotiations.
The group stressed that any resolution must guarantee civil rights and economic justice for the people.
MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, in a statement in Abuja, accused the Federal Government of assuming the role of an arbitrator while being complicit in environmental degradation.
He further warned that oil resumption without proper safeguards would worsen the mental health and safety concerns of the Ogoni people.
Meanwhile, experts in energy and environmental law have criticised gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), arguing that some provisions undermine the rights of host communities in the Niger Delta.
At a sensitisation workshop in Rivers State, organised by the Centre for Advanced Law Research and F1 Team Associates, stakeholders urged communities to familiarise themselves with PIA provisions to defend their rights and access development benefits.
In a related development, South African environmental activist, Nonhle Mbuthuma of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, has drawn inspiration from the Ogoni cleanup project.
During her visit to Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) sites, she described the initiative as “eye-opening and sobering,” underscoring the power of community resistance and scientific documentation in environmental struggles.
Mbuthuma linked the Ogoni experience to Shell’s proposed offshore drilling in South Africa, stressing that united community resistance remains vital to safeguarding the environment and livelihoods.