Re: NNPC Pledges Efficient Management Of Acquired Shell Leases

On June 23, 2013, Ogoni people in Nigeria and in diaspora were shocked reading press statement from Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs of NNPC, Mr. Tumini Green on Shell leases. As Nigerian Guardian newspaper reported, 'The Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiary Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) have pledged to ensure professional management of assets and oil mining leases acquired from the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).'

The National Union of Ogoni Students' USA have been following developments concerning Ogoni oil leases overtime including June 2008, when the Nigerian government announced 'it would replace SPDC with another operator (possibly the Nigerian National Development Corporation) in Ogoniland as best solution to end the 'stalemate' between Shell and the community.' We also monitored the offshore Technology Conference (OTC) May, 2013, Houston Texas where discussions on indigenous Oil firms were tabled.

We have pieced all these together, and after a weekend meeting (July 6 through July 7, 2013) at Arnold, Missouri, we members of the National Union of Ogoni Students' USA issue the following statement on behalf of our Union and Ogoni. That,

1. President Goodluck Jonathan, Shell Oil Company (SPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) should know that the era of unilateral discussion and decision on Ogoni oil bloc was over on January 4, 1993. This means, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), the representative of the Ogoni people must have a seat at every forum where discussion on Ogoni oil is tabled.

2. The National Union of Ogoni Students' USA will at this point alert the world that the leasing of Ogoni oil field by Shell Oil Company to the NNPC and NPDC without input from MOSOP symbolizes disdain, contempt, oppression of Ogoni people, values, and environment and is unacceptable, and therefore not bidding on Ogoni people.

3. By the Ogoni declaration on January 4, 1993, it is only MOSOP that has right to lease Ogoni's oil resources on behalf of Ogoni and not Nigerian government or Shell Oil Company. Ogoni's resources including oil, belong to the Ogoni people and nobody else.

4. At the nick of time, the Ogoni people shall harness their resources for their development and not Indigenous Oil firms like Frontier Oil Limited, SunTrust Oil Company, Monipulo Limited, Sadiq Petroleum Nigerian Limited etc. as discussed in Houston Texas.

5. If President Goodluck Jonathan and Shell Oil Company tarry and are still unsympathetic on cleaning up Ogoni environment, we shall consider this as an affront and after August 2013 Ogoni people will float proposal for bids for foreign firms that will do responsible oil exploration business with Ogoni. It is sadden that even after Shell Vice President, NGO and Stakeholder Relations, Andrew Vickers acknowledges Shell Oil Company commitment to Ogoni clean-up in an email on August 11th, 2011 nothing has been done to date. This is unacceptable and we have God giving right to stop our pain and sufferings.

6. Ogoni people detest the Hydrocarbon Restoration agency (HYPREP) because it is not in Federal government gazette, has no budgetary allocation, nauseate and unskilled nature. We strongly call on the Nigerian government to call in United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) if Nigeria plans to clean-up Ogoni environment. If this is not done, Ogoni people can take matters into their hands after August 2013.

We conclude this press statement reiterating that NNPC or NPDC statement laying claim to Shell Oil Company leases is a white-wash and should not include Ogoni oil field because it never will, therefore Mr. Green's statement is not binding on Ogoni. That, if President Goodluck Jonathan tarries in cleaning up Ogoni environment following recommendations by UNEP of August 4, 2011, Ogoni people will be forced to give out Oil resources to a responsible community oriented foreign corporation.

Long live Ogoni!
Signed:
Mr. Pius Barikpoa Nwinee
(President)
Mr. Sampson Npimnee
(Secretary)

NATIONAL UNION OF OGONI STUDENTS, USA

"We are going to demand our RIGHTS - Peacefully, Non-Violently, and we shall WIN" - Ken Saro-Wiwa (1941-1995)
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NUOS Intl - Seeking solutions to the plight of indigenous students around the world.
(www.nuos-ogoni.org [email protected] ~ [email protected] ~ phone/msg - 773.250.7004)