Ogoni Youths Urged to Embrace Dialogue Over Pipeline Shutdown Threats

Key points of this report:

1. Ogoni youths are demanding that the federal government award pipeline surveillance contracts to Ogoni indigenous contractors.
2. The youths have issued a 14-day ultimatum, threatening to shut down the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and other oil infrastructure if their demands are not met
3. The youths argue that Ogoni communities have suffered environmental devastation from oil exploration and should be given priority in these contracts as a form of empowerment.
4. The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) has warned against the use of threats and violence, urging dialogue to address the issues.

Bori, Ogoni (9News Nigeria)– The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), the youth wing of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), has strongly cautioned Ogoni youths against threats to disrupt oil flow through the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP). While NYCOP supports the demand for surveillance contracts for Ogoni youths, it considers the threats to shut down the TNP as a misguided and violent approach to address their grievances.

In a statement issued by the NYCOP President, Theophilus Mbagha Esq., the organization urged Ogoni youths to refrain from issuing threats as a means of achieving their goals. “I want to call on our youths to desist from issuing threats as a means of achieving their goals. If there are issues, we should explore all peaceful means to dialogue and get things resolved. That is the position of NYCOP on the issue,” Mbagha said.

The NYCOP’s stance comes in response to recent threats by some Ogoni youths, under the auspices of the Youth Leaders of Ogoni Oil Host Communities, to shut down the TNP if the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) fails to award pipeline surveillance contracts to them within 14 days.

Mbagha acknowledged the youths’ demand for the pipeline surveillance contracts, stating that NYCOP supports this as a means of engaging Ogoni youths meaningfully. However, he firmly discouraged the use of threats and acts of violence as a way to achieve their goals. “While we support the award of the pipeline contracts to Ogoni youths as a means of engaging them meaningfully, we strongly discourage the use of threats and acts of violence as a means to achieve goals,” Mbagha said.

The NYCOP President assured the youths of the organization’s unwavering support and urged them to conduct themselves peacefully in their quest to be heard and seek redress. He further encouraged Ogoni youths to remain hopeful in the commitment of MOSOP, led by its President, Fegalo Nsuke, to protect the interests of Ogoni youths and promote their development.

Mbagha’s message echoes the broader call for dialogue and non-violent approaches to address the concerns of the Ogoni people, who have long suffered from the environmental devastation and economic marginalization caused by decades of oil exploration and exploitation in their region.

The Ogoni people, through MOSOP, have been at the forefront of the struggle for environmental justice and the equitable distribution of the region’s resources. The organization has consistently advocated for the rights of the Ogoni people and the need for the government and oil companies to address the community’s grievances through meaningful engagement and sustainable development initiatives.

Whereas the Ogoni youths have continued to voice their demands, NYCOP’s call for dialogue and peaceful resolution serves as a reminder that lasting solutions can only be achieved through constructive engagement and a commitment to addressing the underlying issues that have fueled the region’s long-standing conflicts.

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