Group urges Ogoni to support resumption of oil production, 33-year shutdown cost Nigeria, Rivers $226bn

A pressure group, the Rivers Progressives’ Network (RPN), has called on the Ogoni people to support the resumption of crude oil production in Ogoniland before pursuing the governorship of Rivers State in 2027, arguing that leadership must be matched with economic responsibility.

In a statement titled “The Ogonis and Rivers State: A Time for Honest Reflection,” jointly signed by Chief Dike Godknows and Hon Raymond Opukiri, the group acknowledged the historic environmental justice campaign led by the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).

However, it said more than three decades after oil production was halted in 1993, the time had come for “honest reflection” on Ogoniland’s contribution to the state’s petroleum-driven economy.

“What value is Ogoniland currently contributing to the economy of Rivers State?” the statement asked, stressing that the question was “not to undermine the rightness of the Ogoni struggle,” but rather “a legitimate public policy issue that borders on rights, responsibilities and shared prosperity”.

The group noted that crude oil production from 96 oil wells in Ogoniland under Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 had remained suspended since January 1993. Before the shutdown, the fields produced between 28,000 and 30,000 barrels of crude oil daily, with industry projections indicating production could now exceed 100,000 barrels per day if operations resumed.

The RPN further claimed that the prolonged suspension had cost the Federal Government and Rivers State an estimated $226.734 billion in potential revenue over the past 33 years.

While acknowledging the major interventions attracted by the struggle, including the UNEP environmental assessment, the ongoing HYPREP clean-up, and the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland, the group argued that other oil-producing communities in Rivers State had continued to sustain petroleum production despite facing similar environmental challenges.

It cited producing areas in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ahoada East and West, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Degema, Andoni, Bonny, Okrika, Oyigbo, Etche and Omuma, among others, which collectively support crude oil production exceeding 340,000 barrels per day.

“Many of these other communities in the Niger Delta rightly wonder why their efforts, goodwill and detriments have not received similar national or institutional recognition,” the statement said.

The group also raised concerns over ongoing discussions regarding the 2027 Rivers governorship, saying leadership should reflect commitment to the state’s economic wellbeing.

“It is therefore pertinent to ask whether a people who have denied the government access to oil resources within their territory for decades possess a compelling moral right to govern a state whose fiscal stability mainly relies on petroleum revenues,” it added.

The RPN urged stakeholders in Ogoniland to support the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to facilitate the safe resumption of oil production through the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Re-entry.

“History has honoured the courage of Ogoniland; the future will honour their wisdom and willingness to contribute once again to the economic prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Rivers State, and Ogoniland itself,” the statement concluded.