Ahead of the proposed resumption of oil exploration activities in Ogoniland, a retired Anglican Archbishop, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey, has called on the people of the ethnic nationality to seize this opportunity of the ongoing dialogue process meeting to present their demands to the federal government.
Kattey, who is also the co-chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC), made the call at Alesa-Eleme during a town-hall meeting for communities in Eleme local government area of the state.
The ODC, which is chaired by former vice chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Don Baridam, was a creation of the recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and selected Ogoni leaders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu had during the meeting appointed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to facilitate the oil resumption talks with the Ogoni stakeholders, just as he asked the delegation to get the input of their people and feed him back.
The retired cleric, who noted that the dialogue process has opened avenues for healing and reconciliation after years of neglect and marginalization, commended the Eleme communities for their peaceful engagement throughout the town hall meetings.
He said: “To the people of Eleme, I express my deepest gratitude for your commitment to dialogue. This town-hall meeting is a crucial part of our grassroots consultations regarding the resumption of oil activities in Ogoni.
“This is a moment of opportunity, and I encourage every community to share their memoranda. These contributions will form the foundation of our negotiations, allowing us to address the years of neglect and the environmental damage highlighted in the UNEP report on Ogoni.”
In his remarks, traditional ruler of Eleme Kingdom, King Philip Obele, who emphasized that Eleme has long suffered despite hosting several multinational companies, called on the committee to consider the community’s grievances, which have been detailed in a memorandum submitted to them.
Obele said, “Eleme has watched helplessly as our natural resources are extracted by multinational companies, leaving us with massive unemployment, social degradation, abject poverty, and environmental pollution from industrial noise and reckless oil exploitation. The situation in Eleme is deplorable and requires urgent attention.”
The monarch urged the dialogue committee to take their concerns seriously, assuring that the people of Eleme would present their issues through the memorandum submitted during the meeting.
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