The Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Council, PAPC, Lekia Lezorge Tongor, has expressed dissatisfaction over the exclusion of Ogoni ex-agitators from ongoing discussions and negotiations on the resumption of oil exploration and production in Ogoniland.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Tongor described the development as “most unfortunate and deeply regrettable,” stressing that ex-agitators had supported the process from the outset and must not be sidelined.
Tongor said, “The Ogoni ex-agitators, youths and critical stakeholders are the most neglected in the Niger Delta region,” linking the neglect to the government’s inability to maximize revenue from the Ogoni OML 11 oil block.
According to him, findings from legal and economic researchers working with the group show that OML 11 covers 3,095.55 square kilometers, large enough to be split into nine or ten viable oil blocks.
He noted that if each block were sold at the statutory signature bonus of $2 billion, Nigeria could earn between $18 billion and $20 billion in revenue.
“This is not just a number,” Tongor said.
“It represents a monumental opportunity for mutual benefit between the Federal Government and the Ogoni people.
“The economic case is undeniable, the logic is irrefutable, and the justice for our people is clear.”
While affirming that ex-agitators have maintained peace in Ogoniland since the establishment of the Presidential Amnesty Programme by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Tongor warned that excluding them from the process could create mistrust.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to ensure ex-agitators are incorporated into the yet-to-be-constituted technical committee that will determine modalities for oil resumption in Ogoniland.
In line with this, the ex-agitators have nominated the Coordinator of the Eco Citizen Ogoni Initiative, General Nature Dumale, to represent them in the committee.
Tongor described Dumale as “a vibrant, principled, and God-fearing leader” whose inclusion “will inspire confidence, rekindle trust, and ensure that the voices of the common Ogoni youths and ex-agitators are not only heard but respected.”
He maintained that meaningful progress could only be achieved if discussions on oil resumption in Ogoniland are rooted in peace, justice, and inclusiveness.
Ogoni oil exploration: Ex-agitators demand inclusion in resumption talks
