FG’s resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni land premature, says Dakuku Peterside

Dakuku Peterside, former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), says it is “premature” to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land, Rivers state.

On January 21, President Bola Tinubu met with Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and a delegation of Ogoni leaders.

The meeting came after a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) demanded the allocation of $1 trillion for the clean-up of the Niger Delta and compensation before oil operations resume.

The talks were connected to the federal government’s plans to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land. Tinubu acknowledged the historical challenges faced by the Ogoni people and noted the need for reconciliation and progress.

However, Peterside, while speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, on Wednesday, said resuming oil exploration in Ogoni is ill-timed until contentious issues are resolved.

The former DG of NIMASA pointed out that the unfair distribution of oil exploration benefits, which neglects the Niger Delta community, is deeply troubling.

“If I must be sincere with you, it will be premature to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land. What I think—and I think that is the part the government has also chosen—is to do further consultations, build trust, and show genuine commitment to real environmental governance,” he said.

“The challenge all along has been the opaque nature of oil exploration not just in Ogoni land but in the entire Niger Delta.

“And the fact that the way benefits derivable from oil exploration is distributed to the exclusion of the people of Niger Delta is a big question mark.

“And until we address that in a transparent manner, then we will not make much progress.”

The Ogoni people are an ethnic group in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria, primarily inhabiting Rivers state.

The Niger Delta region, and the Ogoni in particular, has faced severe environmental degradation over the years due to oil exploration.

The Ogoni are known for their long-standing activism against environmental degradation caused by oil exploration, particularly by multinational corporations.

In the early 1990s, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), led by the late activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, drew global attention to the environmental destruction of Ogoni land.

This led to widespread protests and conflicts with the Nigerian government.

‘ESTABLISHING UNIVERSITY IN OGONI LAND NOT SAME AS ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE’

Speaking on the establishment of a university in Ogoni Land, Peterside said creating such an institution in Ogoni land is not the same as addressing the environmental injustice that the people have suffered.

He added that revisiting the Ogoni bill of rights is crucial to addressing the injustices suffered by the people of that area.

On February 3, Tinubu signed into law a bill establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology in Ogoni.

The president said the legislation is a step towards addressing environmental justice and expanding educational opportunities in the Niger Delta region.

He described the Federal University of Environmental Technology as a “significant milestone” in Nigeria’s efforts toward environmental sustainability and national development.

He acknowledged the historical struggles of the Ogoni people, noting that the university reaffirms his administration’s commitment to the region.