A former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, has shared his thoughts on the proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni land in Rivers State.
Naija News reports that oil exploration in Ogoni has been suspended for many years due to controversies surrounding environment degradation among other issues.
However, the Federal Government appears to be looking at the possibility of resuming oil exploration in Ogoni land after many years.
On January 21, 2024, President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, held a closed-door meeting with a delegation of Ogoni leaders led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
After the meeting, Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to coordinate negotiations with various parties within Ogoniland in the oil-rich Niger Delta area to resume oil production in the area.
Speaking on the development during an appearance on Channels Television, Peterside opined that it would be premature to resume oil exploration in Ogoni until certain contentious issues are addressed.
He said, “If I must be sincere with you, it will be premature to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land. What I think and I think that is the part the government has also chosen is to do further consultations, build trust and show genuine commitment to real environmental governance.”
The challenge all along has been the opaque nature of oil exploration not just in Ogoni land but in the entire Niger Delta.
“And the fact that the way benefits derivable from oil exploration is distributed to the exclusion of the people of Niger Delta is a big question mark. And until we address that in a transparent manner then we will not make much progress,” he said.
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