Ogoni Group Threatens Legal Action against NPDC Over Alleged Move to Auction OML11

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

An Ogoni indigenous group, Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI) said it would legally challenge the alleged move by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to auction the Oil Mining Licence (OML) 11 asset.

The group insisted that the plan to auction the OML 11 secretly, contravenes the promise by the NPDC Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Ali-Zarah, that the Ogoni people would be carried along as should any action be taken on the oil bloc.

The group revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that the people of Ogoni would be carried along regarding the OML 11 as they are directly affected by the environmental pollution caused by the activities of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

The OML 11 was operated by the Shell (SPDC) joint venture, but the company was later vacated from Ogoniland in 1993 after several massive protests led by late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. They argued that Shell’s years of operations had devastated the Ogoni environment with no benefit to the people.

President of OLI, Dr. Douglas Fabeke, who spoke on behalf of the Ogoni indigenes, frowned at the alleged proposed plan by the NPDC to auction the OML 11 without considering the plights of the people for proper cleanup of oil impacted sites in Ogoniland and some unresolved crises that emanated as a result of the OML 11.

Fabeke claimed that the NNPC had concluded the move to sell the OML 11 to Sahara Energy and Shell. He said companies lobbying to acquire the license without proper negotiation with the indigenous people may find it difficult to operate in the Ogoniland.

He maintained that “such an asset should be sold to those who understand the plights of Ogoni people, and can develop the area,” adding that, “I am ready to buy the OML 11 license for $1.5billion if the NNPC is looking for money to develop Ogoni Land.”

The OLI president, who said some people are taking Ogoni struggle for granted, warned that anybody compromising these issues will never succeed.

Fabeke said his organisation, Ogoni Liberation Initiative, has the needed capacity both local and international to fight for the interest of the people.

He commended the House of Representatives for directing NPDC to suspend its plan to auction the asset.

Fabeke further said, “On the January 4, which marks another remembrance of Ogoni day, the Ogoni station will present the forensic report on the Ogoni clean-up. The report exposes how the cleanup project is converted into a political project and how billions of naira are taken from the project, how the contract is awarded to unprofessional companies and non-existent communities.”