
Former Nigerian Senator, Ben Birabi, has warned that any attempt to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land must be grounded in respect for the community’s structure, history, and the painful lessons of the past.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, Birabi strongly criticised the federal government’s approach and rejected the romanticisation of key figures linked to the 1995 Ogoni crisis.
Birabi, a veteran of the Ogoni struggle and one of the founding voices behind the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), said the problem with past and current government efforts lies in treating Ogoni people as though they have no agency.
“The problem has been the approach of government,” Birabi said. “They assume there are no people in Ogoni, so they handpick who they like and expect whoever they pick to get people to welcome government. It doesn’t work that way.”
He stressed that Ogoni people are fiercely independent and cannot be manipulated or dictated to.
“Ogoni people are fearless. What has happened in the last 32 years should let everybody know that. We’re not afraid of anybody, but we are not slaves either,” he said.
As Shell prepares to return to Ogoni after over three decades, Birabi acknowledged that oil resumption is welcome — but only if done with transparency and community inclusion.
“We are ready for oil resumption,” he said. “But it cannot be done exactly the same way it was done 60 years ago. Back then, there was only one university graduate from Ogoni. Today, every family has a lawyer or engineer. You don’t treat today’s Ogoni the same way.”
Birabi criticised the composition of government-recognised teams meant to engage on Ogoni matters, saying they lack legitimacy and connection to the people.
“Not one of those selected to meet the president was present when we formed MOSOP. So how do you solve a problem you don’t understand?” he asked. “Even I was excluded from the team. The person who added my name only did so because of a personal relationship.”
On the issue of presidential pardons for the Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Birabi’s tone was unflinching. While acknowledging the president’s constitutional powers, he expressed deep concern about what he sees as historical revisionism.
“I’m not worried about the pardon because it doesn’t change the facts. But what I will not accept is the insult to Ogoni by claiming that the people convicted for murder are martyrs,” he said.
“Martyrs fight and die for a cause. What was the cause here? People were killed in broad daylight. The killers were known. It wasn’t persecution; it was murder. The mob did not wear masks.”
Birabi insisted that the original conflict within MOSOP and the subsequent killings stemmed not from oil resistance, but from ego and political rivalry.
“The killing had nothing to do with oil. It was about personal power and bitterness. Ken Saro-Wiwa lost an election in 1977 and feared losing again. He instigated young people and created chaos,” he alleged. “He gathered youths and told them that unless they lock down Birabi, nobody in the village would succeed.”
He recalled narrowly escaping death himself during the crisis.
“On June 12, I was stabbed in my house. My pyjamas still carry the blood. Since then, Ogoni has never been the same.”
He accused some individuals who were involved in the killings of now receiving national honours, lamenting the distortion of history through propaganda.
“Some of those who supervised the killing are receiving national awards today. That’s what propaganda does. It doesn’t change reality. And the reality is that innocent people were murdered.”
As for expectations from Shell’s return, Birabi said the community demands more than just token gestures.
“The expectation is simple: you cannot operate the way you did in 1958. Shell must pay attention to real community development, not just elders looking to benefit,” he said. “It’s not about patronising individuals. It’s about holistic action.”
He also cautioned that ignoring proper community consultation could have serious consequences.
“If they continue like this, my children will not have a home to return to. I’ve lived a good life in Ogoni, but what about the next generation?”
Birabi dismissed suggestions that community elders were primarily concerned with personal gain.
“It’s not about elders. What is driving the process now is poverty. The government is capitalising on the hardship in Ogoni. And some of us will not keep quiet. We are not afraid to speak the truth.”
Ultimately, he urged both the government and Shell to understand that the way forward is through honest engagement, respect for the people’s history, and a sincere desire to rebuild trust.
“We cannot move forward by urinating on the graves of our murdered elites and calling it peace,” he said. “The president can pardon anyone, but those who were killed were human beings. They deserve justice, not mockery.”
Boluwatife Enome
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