Business
Oil Firm’s Endorsement: Ogoni Interest Not Protected – Group
The Coordinator of Ogoni
Elites and Elders, Dr. Eddie Wikina, has said that the interest of the Ogonis are not protected in the endorsement of Belema Oil Company to carry out oil activities in Ogoni land.
The Coordinator, said this in an exclusive chat with The Tide Friday in Port Harcourt.
Wikina said they were taken aback when the so-called endorsement pact was aired, saying that it was done in error as there was no due consultation of the people.
He said the only way out was proper consultation of stakeholders before a final decision would be reached on the matter.
According to him, the Ogonis have nothing against Belema Oil, but any competent company that is prepared to operate within the stipulations of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report.
He stressed the need to site the Headquarters of the would-be successful company at Bori as another condition of operation.
The Ogoni Elite and Elders organiser, said they are prepared to receive other interested oil companies, hinting that Belema Oil cannot tackle the issue alone due to the huge financial involvement.
He revealed that Shell was yet to fully open the bidding process, adding that they are paying attention to the companies which have earlier indicated interest.
Furthermore, he hinted that Shell’s concern was that the companies must get a go-ahead order from the communities to avoid chaos.
On the issue of the clean-up exercise, he said the Federal Government was yet to perform going by its January ending promise to release the fund.
He has however said that a lot of consultation was going on about the issue, stressing that the endorsement of the oil company by the chiefs is not binding.
It would be recalled that the coordinator of the group (Ogoni Elites and Elders), had some time in December last year, raised an alarm over an attempt by some oil operators to approach illiterate chiefs in Ogoniland for endorsement.