From:Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
The Executive Director of Africa Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, has advised President Bola Tinubu to conclude the clean-up of Ogoni land in Rivers State and restore the environment polluted by the oil companies before talking about resuming oil exploration in the Niger-Delta terrain.
This was contained in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.
Rev. Ugolor, who reacted to the recent meeting of President Tinubu with select leaders of Rivers State in Abuja, said:
“The UNEP Report highlighted the severe environmental degradation in Ogoni land. While cleanup efforts are ongoing, they are far from satisfactory. The priority should be completing the clean-up and fully restoring the environment before discussing crude oil drilling.”
His words: “Rushing into exploration without addressing environmental concerns undermines the well-being of the people and may put a perpetual end to the ongoing clean-up process.”
According to him, dialogue is a step in the right direction. Engaging stakeholders is essential for rebuilding trust and addressing historical grievances.
However, the government must ensure that the engagement is inclusive and transparent. Without genuine community participation, such initiatives risk being viewed as token gestures.
Rev Ugolor stressed that the environmental degradation, human rights violations, and social injustices faced by the Ogoni people must be addressed comprehensively. Without concrete steps toward reparation and restoration of the environment, the call for healing may seem impulsive.
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