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Senator Birabi: Ogoni Land Has Made No Progress Because The Government Has Been Insincere With Us

Senator Bennett Birabi has claimed that Ogoni Land’s lack of progress stems from government dishonesty and insincerity towards the region.

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Signatory to the Ogoni Bill of Rights (1990), Senator Bennet Birabi, has attributed the lack of progress in Ogoni land to the government’s dishonesty and insincerity towards the region. He said,

“The Ogoni people want oil production far more than the federal government. But the reason why they haven’t made any progress is simply that the government have been very dishonest and insincere with us.” 

Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Thursday, Senator Bennett Birabi, shared insights into the challenges faced by Ogoni land. Despite contributing about 60% of Nigeria’s crude oil supply, oil exploration has been halted in Ogoni for over 32 years.

He criticised the government for failing to adapt to the changes in Ogoni since 1958, saying, “At the time they entered Ogoni, our educational exposure was so low… Today, there is practically no family in Ogoni that doesn’t have a lawyer, and we have 46 petroleum engineers of Ogoni extraction.”

When asked about the recent meeting between President Tinubu and Ogoni leaders, Birabi noted his cautious optimism. 

“He is the president, and he is a new president. It is my hope that this new attempt will yield results. Tuesday’s meeting was the first time I’ve been invited by any government to participate in the discussion, which is why I’m saying that there is hope.” 

However, he criticised the government’s past approaches, accusing it of funding crises and avoiding core issues.

Birabi also reflected on the demands outlined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, saying, 

“We said we cannot be pumping oil from Ogoni for sale in Rotterdam, in New York, and all of that, and all we have left on the ground in Ogoni are oil pipelines.” He dismissed claims of financial compensation for environmental degradation, stating, 

“I understand that some 300 million was paid to the Ogoni people… Since I didn’t see the money and I haven’t seen the account which the money was paid, I don’t want to discuss what I cannot defend.”

On environmental remediation, Birabi highlighted the mismanagement of the process, including the UNEP-recommended remediation programme. 

“An initial deposit of one billion dollars was put in place… To the best of my knowledge, some work is going on. But it’s just recently we had a new project coordinator, and we are beginning to see some work.” He described the overall process as “mismanaged and manipulated to suit certain purposes against the purpose of the Ogoni people.”

Regarding the estimated one billion barrels of explorable oil reserves in Ogoni, Birabi stressed that solutions exist if the government is committed. “I am sure if the government are ready for a solution, they will look for it, and the solution is there.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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