OML 25 crisis: Ogoni urge Buhari to probe Wike's 'meddlesomeness'
Port Harcourt -- The people of Ogoni in Rivers State have faulted the intervention of Governor Nyesom Wike in the crisis rocking the Belema flow station and gas plant in Oil Mining Lease, OML, 25, operated by the SPDC/NNPC joint venture, JV, in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of the state, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the governor's interest in the matter.
Recall that the women and youths of Offoinama, Belema and Ngeje communities had for the past two years, shutdown and
laid siege to OML 25 oil and gas platform over alleged neglect, underdevelopment and marginalisation of the host communities by Shell.
Recently, the Rivers State Governor Wike had intervened in the matter leading to the signing of a N1.2 billion Global Memorandum of Understanding, GMoU, between Shell and the representatives of the OML 25 host communities.
But, the people of Ogoni have come out to fault what they described as the governor's meddlesomeness, saying that the governor has no business in the dispute between the host communities of OML 25 and Shell, especially since the matter was already before the Federal Government.
National Coordinator of the Conscience of Ogoni People, COOP, Gani Topba, who faulted the governor when he paid a solidarity visit to the host communities of OML 25, said it was sad that there had been no federal or state government presence in the area despite SPDC drilling 45,000bpd from the area for the past 40years.
Chief Topba explained that the essence of the solidarity visit was to show the concerns of Ogoni people who, according to him, had also suffered the same marginalisation and oppression in the hands of Shell until the intervention of the international community.
The Conscience of Ogoni People also commended the people of Kula Kingdom for adopting a nonviolent approach in their quest for justices, stressing that their demand for Shell's exit from the area must be achieved.
Also speaking, the spokesman of Kula Council of Chiefs, Engr. Fiala Okoye-Davies, commended the Ogoni people for identifying with the people of Kalabari against Shell, adding that the visit has reassured them of victory.