Ogoni: Implement UNEP Report Before Oil Exploration, Community Tells FG, Shell

The Ogoni community of Rivers State has called upon the federal government and Shell to fully comply with the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) recommendations for the Ogoniland cleanup. They insist that oil exploration should not resume until environmental restoration and justice are ensured. The Ogoni people accused the cleanup agencies of merely paying lip service to remediation and falling short of the UNEP's prescribed emergency interventions.

This stance was emphasized during a remembrance program organized by the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) to honor the late environmental rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and other martyrs of the Ogoni struggle. The event, which included a panel discussion involving international Justice for Nigeria Coalition members and environmental and human rights activists from Nigeria and Europe, highlighted the ongoing struggle for environmental justice in the Niger Delta.

MOSOP President, Lazarus Tamana, lamented the execution of Saro-Wiwa for advocating environmental protection and self-determination for the Ogoni people. He vowed to rebuild MOSOP, which had suffered internal divisions. Environmental activist Sebastian Kpalap questioned the sincerity of the cleanup efforts, alleging that they were merely ticking boxes rather than fulfilling the UNEP's recommendations.

Bayo Dornubari warned against using political concessions, like the creation of an Ogoni state, to gain consent for renewed oil exploration. The moderator, Arochukwu Paul Ogbonna, urged Shell to accept responsibility for its 60 years of environmental devastation in the Niger Delta. Simon Taylor from Justice for Nigeria Coalition demanded immediate action on remediation, while Olanrewaju Suraju called for continued unity among the Ogoni people as the fight for environmental justice persists.

Nick Hildyard accused oil companies of prioritizing profit over community welfare and the environment. Italian activist Antonio Recommon pledged ongoing international solidarity to pressure Shell to compensate for the environmental damage. Collectively, the speakers demanded full implementation of UNEP recommendations, environmental accountability, community participation, and a cessation of oil exploration until the Ogoni people's grievances are addressed.

They emphasized that the sacrifices of Saro-Wiwa and other fallen heroes must lead to genuine environmental restoration, justice, and sustainable development.