Ogoni to dialogue with Shell, seek relocation of agency

The Ogoni people of Rivers State have resorted to dialogue with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for resumption of oil exploration.

[FILE] Ogoni clean-up activities

The decisions were reached yesterday during the Ogoni General Assembly meeting organised by the Conscience of Ogoni People in Bori, Khana Local Council.

The group’s national leader, Gani Topba, declared that the era of agitation was over, adding: “Shell’s operational licence will expire in the next four months. What we are talking about is how development will come and make Ogoni better. We are giving them (Shell) 14 days to come for dialogue.”

The Rivers indigenes called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reinstate their son, Mene Derek, as Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), threatening that anything to the contrary would affect the electoral fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections in Ogoniland.

Topba stated: “We are not happy that our son, Mene Derek, was removed as the EDFA of Niger Delta Development Commission by the presidency. His removal showed how Ogoni people are hated, not minding our contribution to the economy of this country.

“Our position is that we want our son to be reinstated. We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescind the decision.”