Was the clean-up a Greek gift?
President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement of the decision to implement the environmental clean-up caused great euphoria across Ogoniland. It was nonetheless accepted with caution if not scepticism by some people. Many Ogonis thought of it as a Greek gift. The handling of the clean-up exercise coupled with the opaque operations of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP); has made the clean-up project appear like fading gossamer. The view that behind the actions of the present government is the desire to access the oil has been prevalent; a premonition born out of conjectures.
But while Ogoni people are still wondering if they can trust that the government under Buhari to redress the years of environmental and economic injustices; a memo signed by Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the President was leaked to the public. The memo directs the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to takeover OML 11 and its production subsidiary to resume oil production in Ogoniland.
The news has put paid to all speculations that the “flag off” of the clean-up project was to woo the Ogonis to remove the seals on the oil in their domain. The clean-up is now viewed with as a political move and, a sham for some politicians and elite class to line their pockets. The surreptitious manner in which the information of plans by the government was leaked has led to a lot of speculations and suspicion in Ogoniland.
Past Experiences:
In the first part of this article, one stated that the resistance against the resumption of oil operation has sense of psychological and sociological value to the people. It is not arrogance that the Ogonis take pride in their “psychological victory”, the ability to resist oil production since 1993 is the only way to keep their honour. Ogoni oil in the ground is a bargaining chip of last resort. But one equally understands if the nation-state sees the action as an effrontery. Nigeria did not envisage an insignificant and once conquered group as the Ogonis; barely known about beyond sections of country to stop the flow of petro-dollar.
Ogoni did not only shock Nigeria and Shell because of the courage to stop oil production activities for this long, as government and other International Oil companies (IOCs) would not want the Ogoni example to replicated. It will signal disaster for Nigeria the “keep-the-oil” in the ground is repeated across Niger Delta. No right thinking person is under the illusion that government and Shell will accept the resistance of the Ogonis without a fight, even the Ogonis know that they have never heard the last from the government and Shell. The patience for two decades and half is because government and Shell have been watching, monitoring, hoping, plotting and anticipating that the Ogonis will either let down their guard or have a change of heart.
The regimes before Buhari have made efforts to recapture the oil wells. They did everything possible to make the pipelines to steam again. Even Gen. Sani Abacha could not wait for the remains of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots to decay when tried to bring back Shell to Ogoni. Having stroke fear into the elites with the manner in which Ogoni 9 were killed; he dangled the carrots and wailed the sticks. With his mischievous goggle; some Ogoni leaders were harangued to kowtow to his whims and caprices.
At the demise of Abacha, Gen. Abdulsalaami Abubakar (Rtd) came with an approach underscored by subliminal messages and subtlety; seeds of discord were sown amongst Ogoni kingdoms. After him came Olusegun Obasanjo who built on what his predecessor did; the later added pacification and placation. As a former military leader who re-emerged as civilian apparel, Obasanjo was as civil as his political ego could be boosted, yet, intimidating when he perceived that the recalcitrance of the Ogoni people thwarted his agenda.
The persecution which the Ogoni suffered under Abacha received prominence at the Oputa Panel for two reasons. Firstly, Obsanjo only wanted to further demonised Abacha. Secondly, to sell a dummy to the Ogonis that he could be trusted. He visited Ogoniland and commissioned a Peace Centre sponsored by his government. He appointed a few Ogonis including Ken Wiwa Jnr, the son of Ken Saro-Wiwa; into his administration.
Obasnjo’s regime authorized the Environmental Assessment to be carried out by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UN body recommended remediation activities as a result of damages caused to the soil, water and rivers of the Ogonis due to years of operations. On the surface, these were progressive steps, but, it emerged that the objective was to pave the way for the resumption of oil production.
After Obasanjo was President Musa Yar’Adu whose educational and progressive political leaning; guided his approach. Yar’Adua tempered his administration’s interest with moderation and pragmatism. In his response to a question by this writer during a visit to Cape Town, South Africa, the late president said that the relationship between the Ogonis and Shell has broken down.
Those close to the former president; maintain that the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme was one of the steps to address the Niger Delta agitation broadly. But when his successor took over, the programme was almost reduced to some kind of reparation for the Ijaw nation. Close associates of Goodluck Jonathan twisted the programme as their own reward for taking up arms. It was more of a privilege than a right for non-Ijaws to be enlisted for training programmes. It was worse for the Ogonis; as their nonviolent and ideologically approach did not count much – amnesty was militants who deployed arms – as against ideology.
Politics of Exclusion:
Once Jonathan ascended the throne, he was cornered as an Ijaw-president. That Ogonis yielded themselves as guinea pigs for experimentation against lethal weapon of military government was ignored. Cold water was poured on several cry for the implementation of the recommendations made by the UNEP. The failure by Jonathan is a bitter pill that Ogonis find difficult to swallow. Jonathan’s action or inaction was insensitive to the brutality, subjugation, oppression and years of economic strangulations, political marginalization and environmental degradation suffered by Ogonis. Jonathan who is from the Niger Delta did not demonstrate empathy enough to implement the UNEP recommendation.
Allies of President Jonathan were blunt that the environmental clean-up cannot start from Ogoniland. It was stated that unless the clean-up will be escalated and extrapolated to cover the entire Niger Delta; it would not be allowed to happen. The Ogonis were not and are never against the idea, except that the environmental assessment took place in Ogoni territory because of a recommendation that was made in 1996 by a United Nations Fact Finding Team. It is therefore not in the hands of the Ogonis to determine an abrupt expansion of the clean-up to cover the entire region.
Also under Jonathan another narrative that gain currency was why would the Ogonis benefit from the proceeds of oil drilled from other tribes whereas oil in Ogoni territory remained sealed? The third experience of the Ogonis during Jonathan was the unwarranted and unprovoked invasion and occupation of some Ogoni villages by militia groups from Okirika; something action reminiscent of the attacks which the military instigated against the Ogonis in 1993/4.
Muhammadu Buhari as a candidate of the APC did his home work, capitalized on the pain and vulnerability of the Ogonis. He visited Ogoniland in person and vowed to implement the UNEP Report. In the bid to keep his campaign promise to the Ogonis, Buhari, represented by his Vice, Professor Yomi Osibadjo came to Bodo in 2016 to “flag off” the Ogoni Clean-Up project. The mere announcement or the “flag off” of the project made the Ogoni group caused a great sense of relief to the Ogonis. But with hindsight, the Ogoni seem to asking if they rejoiced too early?
Many voices but one cause
But with the information contained in the leaked memo signed by the Chief of Staff to the president, the tension in Ogoni is heightening. The stories in town are similar to the kind of stories that were heard during the era of Abdulsalaami Abubakar. Stories of attempted secret negations held outside Nigeria in 1998/9; destroyed the unity of purpose. Ogoni struggle has been able to regain the kind of united front it kept against Abacha since then. The bad blood spread into the refugee camps in Benin Republic and amongst activists that had relocated to other countries like USA, Canada and United Kingdom.
If past experiences were to be the yardstick and the current wave of speculations are to be relied upon to judge the leaked memo; those interested in the oil are beating a drum of war and not of marriage. Ogonis might disagree on many things but Ken Saro-Wiwa managed to bind them together on the basis collective affirmation of their indigenousness. Ken Saro-Wiwa used his pen to engrave the philosophy of one ecology one destiny in the minds of Ogonis.
By the time Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades walked up to the gallows, they died knowing that Ogoni people believe that their geo-seismic configuration is an instrument of collectively. The Ogoni 9 died leaving Ogoni people with the understanding that their environment is unique. They made Ogoni people to know that every village and town contribute to the flow of crude. They Ogoni 9 were forced to bid farewell without raising their hands. But they died in assurance that they have taught their people to believe that Ogoni oil might drilled from certain points; yet, its impacts are borne by all.
But what we hear now shows that the government is going about the resumption of oil in Ogoni clandestinely forces thought of manoeuvre and manipulation – to ignite a strange geo-clannish-political orientation capable of setting the land aflame. The situation is so tensed that people are beginning to believe that communities where oil wells are located would be armed against communities where there are no drilling points.
It is on the ground of the situation in Ogoni, weather the rumours are true or false, weather the fears are imaginary or real, weather the concerns are genuine or not, weather the strings of speculations are mere perception, unfounded or not, and, especially against the backdrop that Ogoni has experienced historical haemorrhage due to cruel exploitation, economic smattering and political battering that the present government should carry out this venture with utmost transparency.
The government need to give Ogoni people the confidence to lie down without fears. After all an Ogoni adage says, he who picks lice from the body of a dog should show it to the dog. This article is written; to ask and answer one question: can the resumption of oil drilling in Ogoni not happen without causing another round of violence in Ogoni? The next part of the article provides articulate a solution for the government, something that they can do, should and must do to ensure a win-win for all parties.
*** Barry Wuganaale, is based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is Sustainable Development Consultant, a writer and the Senior Pastor of Altar of Liberation.
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