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Ogoni Clean Up: MOSOP Warns Against Genocide …As FG Suspends Oil Licence Award Over PIB
Worried over the continuous delay in the clean-up of Ogoni environment, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called on world leaders and all men of conscience to intervene in the situation.
MOSOP is specifically seeking for pressure to be put on Nigerian Government and Shell Petroleum Development Company and its joint venture partners, to immediately commence the holistic implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the Ogoni environment to avert an impending genocide.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, by its spokesman, Mr Fegalo Nsuke, MOSOP noted that there was rise in reports of deaths in the area due to exposure to oil spill.
Nsuke said: “Between March 2 and 17, 2018, Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area alone buried 33 persons while 29 persons died in K-Dere also in Gokana council. Similar reports are coming from other Ogoni villages.
“MOSOP wants to use this opportunity to alert the world of what is clearly a Shell/state-sponsored genocide in Ogoniland. We are concerned that Shell and the government of Nigeria are doing little or nothing about the restoration of Ogoniland and the immediate provision of water for the people even as communities record increasing death rates.
“MOSOP flays this inhuman attitude of the Nigerian government and Shell, and urge the world not to allow this happen in the 21st century.
“We take exception to the fact that just recently in December, 2017, the Nigerian government approved $1billion to purchase arms to kill humans in the fight against insurgents, the same government that has failed to provide an agreed sum of $200million annually for five years to save the lives of over 1million people in Ogoniland.”
However, The Tide investigations show that the SPDC management had, last year, released $10million to the Hydrocarbon Pollution and Restoration Project (HYPRP), the Federal Government agency driving the clean-up of Ogoniland, as part of its contribution to the implementation of the UNEP report.
It revealed that SPDC had built an integrated water facility in Ogale, Eleme; and has been implementing emergency water supply initiative for communities in Ogoni since the release of the report in August, 2011, and complied with UNEP recommendations by conducting the clean-up and remediation of 15 identified spill sites in the report.
It has also concluded assets inventory, and plans a comprehensive decommissioning programme for its facilities in Ogoniland.
Apart from the campaign against illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in communities in Ogoniland, the company is said to have been implementing a number of empowerment programmes for Ogoni youth through its LiveWIRE Scheme, while also awarding scholarships to many secondary school and university undergraduate students from the area.
Meanwhile, The Federal Government, yesterday, stated that until all the components of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), are passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the Presidency, no new licensing rounds for oil wells would be conducted.
Speaking in Abuja, at the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), symposium on the PIB, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, disclosed that the Federal Government would only award new licenses for oil production under new legislations.
Kachikwu, who was represented by his Senior Technical Adviser on Efficiency, Mr. Johnson Awoyomi, emphasized the need for transparency and clear policy direction in the Nigerian petroleum industry.
He said, “Finally, it is a national priority to have certainty and clarity over the operations of the petroleum industry as it will foster more licensing rounds, enhance revenues and increased economic activities.
“New acreages will be awarded for exploration and production under new laws and terms, especially offshore which is likely to account for much of the growth in the nation’s reserves.
“For too long, we have waited for this moment with bated breath and sheer excitement, knowing that the bill will disentangle us from the manacles of inefficiency, low investment drive and opacity.”
Kachikwu said stakeholders must relish the urgency of the current stage at which the various petroleum bills are, stating that all hands should be on deck to making sure the bill achieves what it is meant to achieve.
“Getting to the yes on the PIGB is a great milestone, I am so glad we have begun heeding the clarion’s call,” he noted.
The minister lamented that the aggregation of laws which had governed the Nigerian oil and gas sector over the years had become archaic and no longer competitive and needs to be reviewed and harmonized into a comprehensive law.
He said, “After a critical study of the myriad of challenges on ground, we observed that crucial to the fixing of these problems lies in the question of the governance of the industry, and effort from the legal wing which could play a critical role in presenting a robust, effective governance and institutional framework for the management and regulation of petroleum resources in Nigeria.
“The role of the government needs to be better clarified by refocusing the mandate of the policy, regulatory and commercial institutions to ensure better sector governance, transparency of regulations and operations, accountability of the institutions and removal of opaqueness around the industry.”
Also speaking, Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr. Waziri Adio, however, stated that passage and assent to the bill do not signify the end of the sector’s challenges, noting that the most crucial part aspect is the implementation of bill when it eventually becomes law.
He said, “But we will be deluded to think the job is done. It is not. Succumbing to such a temptation will be wrong-headed and misdirected. And here we are not just talking about the need to finally pass the PIGB and transmit it to the President for assent. And not even about ensuring that the other three bills are passed and signed. It is more about ensuring effective implementation of the resultant laws in ways that will reposition and transform our oil and gas sector to become a real blessing, and not this needless curse, for our people.
“Our expectation is that we will address many of the questions that have been asked, including those yet to be asked, or at least set us thinking seriously about these questions. Some of these include: what transitional arrangements are being contemplated? What is the plan for the fiscal, host community and administrative bills?
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.