The Ogoni Voice Achievers Foundation (OVAF) has rejected the federal government’s plan to resume oil exploration in Ogoniland, insisting that operations must not begin until a full environmental cleanup and historical justice are secured.
In a statement signed by its founder and chairman of the board of trustees, Gospel Barifii Gokana, the group described the government’s approach as “deeply flawed, unjust, and unacceptable.”
OVAF said restarting oil activities without first addressing decades of pollution and neglect could fuel resentment, trigger social unrest, and risk renewed conflict in the Niger Delta.
The group’s position follows reports that the government had defended the planned restart on grounds of economic recovery and energy security.
Gokana, however, faulted the rationale, stressing that there has been no genuine consultation with the Ogoni people. “Only a select few have been invited into closed-door negotiations. This selective engagement fails the test of free, prior, and informed consent, which is a right under international human rights norms,” he said.
He also accused the government of lacking transparency, alleging that decisions were being taken in Abuja without adequate consideration of the suffering of Ogoni communities.
OVAF further demanded that the late activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders executed in the 1990s be exonerated as part of broader efforts toward justice and reconciliation.
The dispute underscores renewed tensions over oil production in Ogoniland, decades after violent clashes, human rights abuses, and environmental devastation first forced a halt to operations in the area.