A royal father in Rivers State, His Highness, Chief Vincent
Shango-Lolo, has said that Ogoni people would not consent to oil companies
carrying on further oil exploration and exploitation on their land after the
planned cleanup by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government
because the people have gained nothing from oil. Chief Vincent Shango-Lolo Chief Shango-Lolo,
who is the paramount ruler of Kinaaben, an adversely.....
despoiled riverside
community at B-Dere River bank, Gokana local government area, lamented that the
oil firms have shattered the source of revenue of the people, polluted their
environment with no more aquatic life in the communities. A human and
environmental rights activist, Comr. Celestine AkpoBari, also reiterated the
position of the monarch that Ogoni people would not agree to any oil
exploration activity in the area after government might have concluded the
cleanup, saying the people would do anything to stop further despoliation of
their homeland.
When Niger Delta Voice visited the community, we observed that
thick sludge allegedly stemming from an oil spill that occurred many years ago,
still covered the river where the people carry out their fishing activities.
The embittered monarch said: “We have not benefitted anything from oil
business. We do not have good drinking water. Even common mono-pump is not in
our community, yet, we are an oil producing area and we will prefer to use our
land for farming.” He expatiated: “This is an extract of the water (showed NDV
water in a bowl) that people living around here drink. At a time when this
thing came up, people left this place because of the health challenges that
accompanied it.
The whole place was burnt up and was not inhibited by any
person again. “After that time, for about 23 years now, we do not have anything
here, no fish again because of the pollution, the HYPREP sign post will tell
better. We are just living by the mercy of God.We have made several calls to
the Federal Government about our living condition here. Recently we saw FG
representatives coming to see things for themselves. For now, we have not seen
anything to remedy our condition. Expressing the community’s wish not to have
their community despoiled further exploration the movement said: “There is
still nothing like aquatic life in this place. The cleanup is so important to
us because we want to have life again. I am a party to the call that after the
Ogoni cleanup, we will not accept any other form of oil exploration in our
place.” “Because the activities of the oil explorers are criminally motivated
so we do not want them again. Residents of the area, who spoke to Niger Delta
Voice lamented that life has been agonizing for them because of oil exploration
activities by oil companies. They said their health conditions had deteriorated
and everything they have has been contaminated.
Our grouse- AkpoBari Similarly,
a human and environmental rights activist in Ogoni, Comrade AkpoBari, called on
youths of the area to avoid any act that would scare away the Shell Petroleum
Development Company and the Federal Government from conducting cleanup in
Ogoni. AkpoBari, who is also the National Coordinator of Ogoni Solidarity
Forum, OSF, said: “Do not do anything stupid that will make them to run away.
The project will re-position our lands forgotten for long. Our people will get
jobs and there will be change in Ogoniland. Just wait and support the system
that will change the economy of the Ogoni people. “Let us support the campaign
of leaving the oil in the soil. After the clean up, we will not allow any
further oil exploration in Ogoni because it has not benefited us in anyway,” he
added.
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