A former governorship candidate of the All-Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside, has kicked against the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
President Bola Tinubu had on Monday, February 3, signed a bill establishing the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) in Ogoni and pledged more support for the community.
Tinubu said that to address the injustice the Ogonis have suffered, the Ogoni Bill of Rights must be revisited. Tinubu also invited elder statesmen from Ogoni to Aso Rock for negotiations and discussions ahead of reported plans to resume oil exploration in Ogoni after decades due to serious environmental concerns.
Peterside, who was the former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA in the last administration, said it would be premature to do that at this point.
He mentioned that until certain contentious issues were addressed, it would be premature to make such move.
“If I must be sincere with you, it will be premature to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land. What I think and I think that is the part the government has also chosen is to do further consultations, build trust and show genuine commitment to real environmental governance,” Peterside said to Channels Television on Wednesday
“The challenge all along has been the opaque nature of oil exploration not just in Ogoni land but in the entire Niger Delta.
“And the fact that the way benefits derivable from oil exploration is distributed to the exclusion of the people of Niger Delta is a big question mark. And until we address that in a transparent manner, then we will not make much progress,” he added.