By Our Reporter
As the Federal Government continues plans to resume oil exploration in Ogoniland, the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA), has vowed to resist the move.
The group during its provincial awareness tour in Kpite,Tai local government area on Saturday displayed placards with inscriptions ‘Stop oil resumption in Ogoni now’.
They sited deprivation, non community inclusion and lack of transparency in ongoing Ogoni clean – up as basis for their position.
Mr Goodluck Diigbo, a U.S-based President of the group in his address transmitted online reaffirmed the group’s readiness to resist federal government oil resumption plan.
According to him, OCIA as a sovereign institution representing the Ogoni people is determined to ensuring that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples(UNDRIP) was implemented without further delay.
”We reject any attempt by the Nigerian government to exploit our land without our consent, this declaration is not merely political but in the best interest of our people.
”We will not forget in a hurry our sufferings over two decades ago, the devastating impact of an inhumane oil exploitation which claimed over 33,000 lives, poisoned our water bodies and degraded our environment.
’The Federal Government and oil business in Ogoni land rather than attract development and lift the people out of poverty left a devastating scare, this is the reason we must resist oil resumption to avoid a repeat,” Diigbo said.
Diigbo however, noted that the group remained open to embracing genuine investors who would also prioritize safety of lives and the environment in their quest for business profits.
Also speaking, Madam Sorbarisere Loveday, administive leader of OCIA who led the tour urged the people to remain calm assuring them that the federal government planned oil resumption cannot be achieved.
According to her, the OCIA shall resort to self defense in event of forceful invasion or intimidation by the federal government.
Loveday however, noted that despite all odds, the OCIA remained committed to protection of rights as well as preservation of the Ogoni ecosystem.
Port Harcourt Mundial recalls that President Bola Tinubu had recently directed the National Security Adviser (NSA) to engage Ogoni communities and stakeholders to finalize on how oil production could resume in the area.
