The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed strong support for the ongoing dialogue between representatives of the Federal Government and the Ogoni people aimed at resolving the decades-long crisis surrounding oil exploration and production in Ogoniland.
MOSOP said it was encouraged by what it described as the sincerity and honesty demonstrated by the negotiating teams on both sides, stressing that the current engagement offered a historic opportunity to address the grievances that have sustained the Ogoni struggle for more than three decades.
President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, stated this while addressing a large gathering of MOSOP members and supporters in Giokoo, Gokana Kingdom.
Nsuke said the organisation was particularly encouraged that the current discussions were centred on the fundamental demands and aspirations of the Ogoni people, rather than being driven primarily by the Federal Government’s desire to resume oil production in the area.
“For the first time, we have a situation where discussions are focused on the demands of the Ogoni people and not just on resuming oil production in the area.
“Given the progress so far, MOSOP is obliged to support the ongoing dialogue,” he said.
The MOSOP president said the development represented a significant departure from the confrontational relationship that had characterised interactions between the Ogoni people, the oil industry and successive Nigerian governments.
He recalled that the Ogoni struggle, which gained international prominence under the leadership of the late writer and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was fundamentally a campaign against environmental degradation, political marginalisation and economic underdevelopment arising from decades of oil exploration.
The crisis reached a tragic climax in November 1995 when Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists were executed by the military government of the late General Sani Abacha following a controversial trial. Their deaths drew widespread international condemnation and became a defining moment in the history of environmental and human-rights activism in the Niger Delta.
The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which had operated extensively in Ogoniland, subsequently withdrew from active oil production in the area in 1993 amid escalating protests and conflict. Oil production has remained suspended for decades, although the question of whether and how production should resume has continued to generate intense debate.
Nsuke said the long resistance had forced the issues of environmental injustice and underdevelopment in Ogoni into national and international consciousness.
“We have fought for over 30 years and we were able to bring Shell to shame and expose their bad deeds in Ogoni. The government today has also admitted the wrongs and errors of the past, especially the way we were treated and dehumanised,” he said.
He, however, described the Federal Government’s willingness to engage the Ogoni people in dialogue as a positive development.
“However, the good news is that the government has offered to talk and that is already ongoing. That is good and we have good reasons to tell you that ongoing talks are going well,” Nsuke added.
The MOSOP leader urged the Ogoni people to embrace the dialogue process, arguing that negotiation remained the most appropriate path for a movement that had consistently pursued non-violent resistance.
“In a non-violent struggle like ours, there can be no better alternative to dialogue. Whatever discourages you from dialogue is an enemy and you must avoid them,” he said.
Nsuke stressed that MOSOP’s interest in the dialogue was not simply about the resumption of oil production, but about securing a sustainable economic and environmental future for Ogoniland.
According to him, the ultimate objective of the Ogoni struggle has always been to reverse the cycle of underdevelopment and ensure that the people derive tangible benefits from the resources found in their communities.
“The Ogoni struggle was essentially a protest against underdevelopment. Today, the government has offered to enter into discussions on how we can best address that problem. What can be better than that?” he asked.
He said MOSOP would remain vigilant throughout the negotiations to ensure that any agreement reached would genuinely protect the interests of the Ogoni people.
“The role and goal of MOSOP is to ensure that what we have fought for is protected so that the benefits get to those for whom they were intended and there will be no compromise on that,” Nsuke declared.
The renewed dialogue comes against the background of longstanding demands by Ogoni communities for environmental remediation, justice, economic development, political inclusion and greater control over the benefits arising from natural resources extracted from their land.
The issue of environmental pollution remains particularly important. A major United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment published in 2011 documented extensive contamination in Ogoniland and recommended a comprehensive clean-up programme, including the establishment of institutions and funding mechanisms for remediation.
The Federal Government subsequently established the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to implement the UNEP recommendations and undertake environmental remediation and related community-development projects in Ogoniland. The pace, scope and effectiveness of the clean-up have, however, remained subjects of continuing public debate.
Against this backdrop, the question of oil production has become inseparable from the broader issues of environmental restoration, community development, economic empowerment and guarantees against a recurrence of the problems associated with decades of oil operations.
For MOSOP, Nsuke said, any future arrangement must therefore ensure that the sacrifices made during the Ogoni struggle translate into concrete benefits for present and future generations.
‘Don’t allow sacrifices to be in vain’
Nsuke also appealed to Ogoni people to maintain peace and remain focused as the dialogue progresses.
He warned against individuals or groups who might attempt to undermine the negotiation process, stressing that the long history of sacrifice by the Ogoni people must not be wasted.
“You have fought a good fight. You are the symbol of the Ogoni resistance and you must remain focused at this time to protect the benefits of the struggle.
“Do not be misled by anyone. The struggle has been your life and you have to safeguard its benefits in the interest of our collective future.
“If we do not protect the dialogue committee and the benefits of the struggle, then it is all in vain,” he said.
The MOSOP position signals a growing emphasis on dialogue as a possible pathway towards resolving the longstanding Ogoni question, even as significant issues remain to be negotiated.
For the Ogoni people, the challenge ahead will be to ensure that any eventual agreement balances the interests of the Federal Government, host communities and prospective oil operators while guaranteeing environmental protection, economic development and justice for communities that have borne the consequences of oil exploitation for decades.