By: Felix Ikpotor
A monarch in Ogoniland, Rivers State, King Samuel Nnee has called on youths of the area to support the renewed moves by President Bola Tinubu to resume oil extraction in the area.
Oil extraction was suspended in Ogoniland in 1995 following the killing of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni elites. However, President Tinubu early this year inaugurated a committee to workout modalities to resume extraction in the area.
Nnee, who is the Coordinator of Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, gave the charge when he received members of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) who were in his palace in Kpite Tai LGA on a courtesy visit.
The monarch said resumption of oil extraction in Ogoniland is for the benefit of all indigenes as such should be supported.
Nnee, however, called for sincere and transparent negotiation by the federal government to assuage the fears of the people.
”The envisaged resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland is a thing we must join the Mr President to achieve. Whats remaining is the modalities to go about it, ” he said.
”The oil resumption will develop our people and I’m of the opinion and representing Tai that negotiations should be broad-based. Nobody should negotiate on behalf of Tai people.
”Government should be magnanimous enough to understand that they cannot appoint somebody to negotiate on behalf of Tai people,” he added.
The Ogoni leader called on the government to allow the people to a point their own negotiators for fairness and justice.
”Tai people will appoint those people that will negotiate with government on our behalf and I’m thinking that all other local governments should follow suit because that’s the right way to negotiate because any government appointed negotiator can’t be fair and just and if we all share thet view tomorrow will be better for all of us, ” he said.
Port Harcourt Spectator recalls that the Ogoni Dialogue Committee charged with the responsibility of negotiating the resumption of oil extraction in Ogoniland had few weeks ago submitted their report after months of engagement with the people.
