Ogoni Oil Resumption: Tinubu misled on true situation — SSRG

Group demands 50,000bpd crude allocation for coastal highway

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

The Convener of the South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), Joseph Ambakaderimo, has said President Bola Tinubu may not be receiving adequate information about the situation in Ogoniland, a development he believes could be delaying the planned resumption of oil production in the area.

Ambakaderimo called on the Federal Government to address the concerns of the Ogoni people before proceeding with oil exploration, insisting that their interests and demands must be given priority in ongoing negotiations.

Speaking on efforts to restore oil production in Ogoniland, he said the President needed accurate information on developments in the area to enable him to make informed decisions.

“I think Mr President is not being properly informed of what is going on in Ogoniland. Therefore, it will be difficult for him to make very sound pronouncements and determine the proper way forward,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to examine the Ogoni Bill of Rights and identify and implement the demands considered most important to the people.

“The interest of Ogoni people is paramount to oil extraction. What does the Federal Government have for the Ogoni people? That should be the most important thing before the planned oil resumption,” he said.

Ambakaderimo argued that Nigeria had abundant oil and gas resources that could be harnessed to drive economic development and fund critical infrastructure.

On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, he dismissed concerns that difficult terrain in parts of the South-South could make construction impracticable, insisting that modern engineering and technology could overcome such challenges.

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t like it, because I know with engineering, with modern technology, you can build on any kind of environment and make progress for your people,” he said.

He called for a review of the project’s feasibility studies where necessary, rather than abandoning or altering the original route.

“I believe the feasibility of that road has been done. We know the processes of building roads, infrastructure, all over the world. Proper and concrete feasibility would have been done. So let the engineers go back to the drawing board,” he said.

The SSRG convener said the coastal highway had remained on the drawing board for decades, adding that the Federal Government should seize the opportunity to complete the project in line with the expectations of communities along its route.

He called on the government to allocate 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day to finance the multi-billion-dollar project, arguing that Nigeria had sufficient resources to fund the infrastructure without diverting it from its original alignment.

“Who said we don’t have the money? Nigeria has the money. Allocate 50,000 barrels of crude oil every day. And pay. And get it done,” he said.

Ambakaderimo insisted that the highway must extend to Calabar, Cross River State, traversing all the states in the South-South geopolitical zone as originally conceived.

“I think that project should go on, should progress as per the original design, to having it at the Calabar end, traversing all the states in the South-South geopolitical zone. There shouldn’t be any form of diversion, negotiation,” he said.

He opposed any attempt to realign the coastal highway with the existing East-West Road, insisting that both routes should be maintained.

“We want to see the coastal road side-by-side the East-West Road. We want to see that happen. Not to do any alignment. Alignment of what? Where? We need that coastal road,” he said.

To support his proposal, Ambakaderimo cited the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos as an example of major infrastructure allegedly financed through crude oil proceeds.

“The Third Mainland Bridge was paid with crude oil,” he said, adding that part of the payment was made to the construction company involved in the project.

He questioned why the Federal Government could not adopt a similar financing arrangement for the coastal highway, given the country’s oil and gas resources.