For some time now there has been controversy resuming oil production in Ogoni land without first addressing the issue of Ogoni bill of rights by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
A lot of well meaning Nigerians urged the Federal Government to do the needful noting that Nigeria is loosing billions of dollars by not addressing the Ogoni burning issue, that is the bill of right. On this note, a renowned social commentator, Dr. Lucky Kpakol lamented that the Federal Government must first address the issues raised in the Ogoni Bills of rights before the oil production can resume.
Dr. Lucky Kpakol in an interview with our reporter said the Ogoni will resist the move to begin oil production through the back door. He said the Federal Government cannot sweep the bill of rights under the carpet and again that NPDC as a matter of urgency should do the needful by consulting the Ogoni people properly. He said NPDC knows what they have to do before such action is taking in Ogoni, adding that they should not forget in a hurry that several people died in Ogoni because of this oil and for this purpose, they can not follow through the back door to take the oil or start resumption of the oil without proper negotiation or due process.
Dr. Lucky Kpakol who is a member of the Ogoni Generational Thinkers also asked the Federal Government to exonerate Ken Sarowiwa and eight other Ogoni martyrs who were killed by the General Sani Abacha junta. He said the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) is aware that there is Ogoni bill of right and they also know that Ken Sarowiwa died because of the oil and it was criminally done by the Abacha junta which nothing have been spoken about the death of Ken Sarowiwa. He therefore urge NPDC to go back to their drawing board and think of the necessary thing to do before coming back to Ogoni.
Other people interviewed stressed that the Federal government should act wisely by carrying out the terms of agreement since Ogoni people are suffering up till today. And that many of their prominent people died in course of the struggle. The government should consider the environmental degradation and pollution of Ogoniland, stressing that due process must be followed before as it concerns the bill of right.
