By MONSURUDEEN OLOWOOPEJO

Apparently not satisfied with oil exploration in Ogoniland, the National Union of Ogoni Students, NOUS INTL. USA, has urged President Muhammad Buhari to review the joint agreement between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company.

President Buhari

NOUS argued that the continued stay of the oil firm in River State has allegedly not brought benefit to the citizens rather has continuously led to disadvantages, demanding that the President stop the activities of Shell Petroleum in Ogoni land.

They made their demands known in a statement titled; “Ogoni Sacrosanct Rights Over Its Oil can’t be Abrogated” and was jointly signed by the President of (NUOS INTL. USA), Mr. Pius Baripkoa Nwinee, Secretary General of (NUOS INTL. USA), Mr. Sampson Npimnee, Coordinator of (OLM INTL (Ogoni Lives Matter), USA, Mr. Cornelius J.S Dumerene, and the Secretary General of (OLM INTL) Ogoni Lives Matter), USA, Mr. Tuate Ganago.

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NOUS recalled that late Ken Saro Wiwa, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP and Ogoni people declared Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company forced Shell out of OML 11, for non-payments of rent, royalty or lease as well as for Shell to account “for its predatory ecological war waged on Ogoniland, Ogoni people and Ogoni enclave as well as the entire Niger Delta.”

The group, in conjunction with Ogoni Lives Matter International raised concerns over a Memo dated March 1, 2019, ref. SH/COS/24/A/8540 and titled ” Operatorship of Entire Oil Mining Lease (OML 11)”, alleging that it was a political conspiracy between the All Progressives Congress, APC led federal Government and the Royal Dutch Shell to con, rub and defraud Ogoni.  We therefore, deem it as a non sequitur and objectionable,” the statement read.

The group said further that the sanction imposed on Shell was not only because it holds the operatorship license, also, impeachment of Shell as an inseparable partner of the NNPC/Joint Venture.

“According to Ogoni customary law and norms, Shell/NNPC JOINT VENTURE lost control of Ogoni OML 11 in 2002, as such it needs to dialogue with Ogoni.

“The only legal or protracted legal issue here is how Shell/NNPC Joint venture settles their decades of oil theft, negligence and liabilities in Ogoni. We therefore hope you would have the political courage to expel Shell from being partner of NNPC joint Venture.

“We also respectfully request that any proceeds, dividends or asset from this divorce should be transferred to Ogoni. In as much as Shell remain or continue to be a partner or member of NNPC/Joint Venture(family), there will not be oil resumption in Ogoniland by NNPC/NPDC or any agent or member of this family,” the group said in the statement.

They remined President Muhammad Buhari that the memo or threat from his office to NNPC and NPDC to confiscate, invade, trespass, encroach or power gab Ogoni OML 11, and ecological war on Ogoni were both internal and external aggression against Ogoni.

“In fact, this threat or memo not only amount to your denial of protection to Ogoni people, but more importantly, a violation of Ogoni social contract, a benchmark protection for Ogoni self-determination guaranteed under Article 2 of the United Nations Charter of 1943, United Nation Declaration of the indigenous People 2007 as well as Article 20 of African Charter on human and People’s Right all of which Nigeria is a signatory.

“So, we hope you treat us as people and not as profit and see the need to conduct Ogoni referendum instead of a threat. Furthermore, we also want to bring you to speed on the sufferings of Ogoni people,” the statement read.

NOUS INTL. USA stressed that it had been seven years since UNEP issued its report, and that three years since “HYPREP bribed UNEP with sapient and position on HYPREP BOTS, fake TRUSTEES that has no reflection on the nation’s budget, but corrupt private investors that compromises UNEP recommendations from 30 to 20 years,” they said.

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The group stated that “These embarrassing and disturbing circumstances could not have been overlooked. Other disturbing evidences are the rising mortality rate and fears of possible detection of benzene in Ogoni food chain which continue to persuade us to remind you to contract the services of an international company with capable professional and technical expertise to handle Ogoni biometric assessment/Cleanup,” they said, while implicating a popular politician in the South West in the whole saga.

NUOS INTL reiterated that Ogonis were not opposed to oil resumption in OGONI, but that the government and “Shell”s refusal to expunge, exonerate and immortalize our fallen heroes from the indignity of a crime they never committed and the indignity of death they never deserved are true fact that oppose oil resumption in Ogoni.

“Though we pride our struggle in the doctrine of nonviolence, we do not appreciate this deceptive threat or any dishonest policy to appease and reward Shell. Therefore, we strongly and unequivocally affirmed that Shell and its NNPC/joint Venture remain persona non grata in Ogoni,” the statement added.

The group subsequently called on all “Ogonis home and abroad, Ogoni traditional rulers, and Ogoni politicians to stop prostituting our struggle to solicit for public offices, personal success or gain.”