Fifty-one civil society organisations have opposed plans to resume oil production in Ogoniland, calling on the federal government to abandon the move and instead focus on cleaning up decades of environmental pollution in the area.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, the organisations said reopening oil wells in Ogoni would undermine ongoing environmental restoration efforts and expose communities to renewed pollution, health risks and conflict.
The statement followed reports that Dutchford Exploration and Production Company Limited emerged as the successful bidder for the Yorla South oil field in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The 51 organisations include Oilwatch International, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Policy Alert, We The People, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Peace Point Development Foundation and Amazon Watch.
“We are unequivocal: Do not reopen the wells. Decommission them. Clean them up. Restore the land. Protect the people. Ogoniland has suffered enough,” the organisations said.
