Leaders and people of Ogoniland have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is attempting to undermine the ongoing Federal Government–Ogoni dialogue process aimed at resolving the decades-long Ogoni crisis.
The petition was submitted under the aegis of the Conscience of Ogoni People (COOP), formerly known as the Ken Saro-Wiwa Associates, a coalition of Ogoni stakeholders advocating peace, justice and sustainable development in the area.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by COOP’s Leader and Spokesman, Chief Gani Topba, the group expressed strong support for the dialogue being facilitated by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, describing it as the most credible effort so far to address the long-standing Ogoni question.
COOP alleged that the FCT Minister has been engaging in actions aimed at frustrating the dialogue, linking the situation to unresolved issues dating back to his tenure as Governor of Rivers State. According to the group, the dispute is connected to a long-standing compensation case between the Ejama Ebubu community in Ogoniland and the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) over environmental damage claims that were decided in favour of the community.
The group stated that the Rivers State Government became deeply involved in the matter during Wike’s administration, a development it said has remained contentious and unresolved in the public domain.
COOP further alleged that during the recent visit of the NSA to Ogoniland, political associates of the FCT Minister were directed to boycott and undermine the engagement, with deliberate efforts made to sabotage the dialogue at the community level.
Raising security concerns, the group claimed that armed youths allegedly recruited from different parts of Rivers State are being mobilised and camped around the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters, purportedly to destabilise the peace process.
The group also alleged that Wike is displeased with Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalaiyi Fubara, over his cooperation with the NSA to ensure the success of the Ogoni dialogue. COOP claimed that local government chairmen in Eleme, Tai, Gokana and Khana local government areas were allegedly directed to recruit armed youths to disrupt the process and frustrate the proposed resumption of oil operations in Ogoniland.
COOP warned that if the alleged actions are not checked, they could pose serious threats to public peace and security in Rivers State and derail what it described as a fragile but promising dialogue process.
The group noted that the engagement has been widely welcomed by Ogoni people as a sincere and inclusive initiative aimed at achieving lasting peace, environmental remediation, economic reintegration of Ogoni communities and the safe resumption of oil production in Oil Mining Lease (OML) II. It added that a successful outcome would boost national revenue, foreign exchange earnings, energy security and employment.
COOP appealed to President Tinubu to intervene by calling on the FCT Minister to desist from actions capable of reigniting tension in Ogoniland. The group also urged the President to protect the dialogue process and direct relevant security and intelligence agencies to investigate the allegations.
It expressed confidence that decisive presidential intervention would help secure peace in Ogoniland and reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to justice, national unity and economic recovery.
