The Ogoni of South South Nigeria have restated their demand for the creation of Bori State.
During a visit on Monday to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Monday, the Ogonis also demanded for the usage of the $1 billion recommended by the UNEP as start up point for the Ogoni clean-up solely for the project.
Led by a senator from River State, Magnus Abbe, the Ogonis. including the Paramount Ruler of Ogoniland, His Royal Highness, Godwin Kininwa, the Ogoni told Jonathan that Nigeria has the potential of a great nation and that they would support every effort to realise the potentials.
Abbe, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, told Jonathan that though the Ogonis have always supported the call for devolution of power to local entities to reflect true federalism upon which the Nigerian nationhood is anchored, they assured Nigerians that they remain committed to the country’s unity.
Abbe said: “We are also asking for the economic and social integration of the Ogoni people through special development initiatives.
“It will be recalled that the UN Secretary General fact-finding mission to Nigeria made this recommendation in respect of Ogoni in the late 1990s.
“The Ogoni people sincerely thank the Federal Government under your able leadership for inviting UNEP to do a groundbreaking scientific study of the ogoni environment.
“Through the UNEP report which you received on August 12, 2012, you may by now be aware of the extent of environmental devastation of Ogoni, not only has the terrestrial and aquatic live and soil suffered inestimable damage but the health of the people has been tragically affected by hydro-carbon pollution.
“Every Ogoni person is a potential cancer patient.
“Tragic and catastrophic as the situation is, the Ogoni people are concerned by a protracted and near absence of a strategic response by the Federal Government to the findings of the report.
“The Ogoni people are concerned that it took as long as one year for the Federal Government to respond to the report, in cognisance of the urgency of that report.”
Abbe said that contrary to UNEP recommendation to setting up of the Ogoni Environment Restoration Agency, that is specific to the Ogonis, the Federal Government opted to establish a programme that is wider in scope to cover other areas experiencing hydro-carbon pollution, adding: “We hope that this broad jurisdiction will not undermine the implementation of the UNEP report.
“Ogoni will appreciate receiving assurance from the Federal Government that the UNEP recommendation on Ogoni will be fully implemented regardless of intervention in other areas.”
Abbe ask said it was the hope of the Ogonis that the $1 billion recommended by UNEP as start up point for the Ogoni clean-up will be spent on Ogoni alone.
He said the Ogoni assume that they would be given priority in business and job opportunities connected to the clean-up in Ogoniland as a means of amelioration of poverty and joblessness in the area.
He added: “Our people are of the strong view that the creation of Bori State is a necessity, which the executive arm and the National Assembly should give its test to.
“Such a state will include other ethnic groups in the South East Senatorlal District in Rivers State and will also complement the national economy as the oil and gas resources of the area will enhance the national budget.”
Other demands made included the empowerment of youths, benefiting from the amnesty programme and involvement in pipeline surveillance.