By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has raised serious ethical concerns over a Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara Energy and West African Gas Limited (WAGL), an affiliate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which is alleged to involve oil mining license OML 11.

MOSOP described the agreement as unethical, claiming it was neither conducted in good faith nor in the best interest of the Nigerian people. The group criticized the deal for not following proper due process and labeled it as fraudulent and deceptive.

Fegalo Nsuke, President of MOSOP, condemned the Sahara-WAGL agreement, calling it an “insult to the intelligence and integrity of the Nigerian nation.” He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to cancel the FTSA, highlighting that it was fraught with irregularities and deceit.

Nsuke questioned the legitimacy of an agreement between Sahara Energy and its own affiliate, WAGL, stating, “How can Sahara go into an agreement with its own affiliate? It’s as good as going into an agreement with itself. This is deceptive and fraudulent.”

He further expressed that Sahara Energy is not a company the Ogoni people want on their land and urged President Tinubu to terminate any deal between the NNPC and Sahara Energy regarding OML 11. Nsuke advocated for an inclusive approach that ensures fair treatment of the Ogoni people in the distribution of revenues from natural resource extraction.

The MOSOP president also noted that the last Ogoni Congress had clearly articulated the community’s demand for justice, offering a path to resolve the decades-old conflict between all stakeholders. He emphasized that this path should be explored to promote peace and development for the Ogoni people and the country at large.

Nsuke accused Sahara Energy and NNPC of undermining MOSOP’s efforts to find a permanent solution to the Ogoni issue. He called for presidential intervention to ensure the fair treatment of the Ogoni people and a resolution of the longstanding conflict.

MOSOP has previously expressed its opposition to Sahara Energy’s involvement in the region, calling for a fairer approach to the management of natural resources on Ogoni land.