As the Ogoni Dialogue Committee on oil resumption in Ogoniland continues in it’s town hall meetings across communities in the area, the people of Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State has urged the committee to look into the years of neglect occasioned by oil exploration and exploitation on their land.
The Paramount Ruler of Eleme Kingdom, King Philip Osaro Obele, who stated this in his address at the Town Hall Meeting by the Ogoni Dialogue Committee in Eleme on Saturday, 8th March, 2025 noted that Eleme has suffered years of neglect despite being host to several multinationals, urging the committee to look into their plights which have been articulated in their memorandum submitted to the committee.
“Eleme has over the past years watched helplessly as her natural resources are being carted away by the multinational companies, thereby leaving them to reap massive unemployment, social degradations, abject poverty and environmental pollution arising from industrial noise, reckless oil exploration and exploitation of our people. Infact, the situation in Eleme is highly deplorable, depressing and requires attention.
“Therefore, our dialogue committee, the people of Eleme are going to present to you all their problems through the memorandum that would be given to you here today, articulate those decisions, those ideas and ensure that Eleme people are considered and the needful should be done for the people of Eleme because we have suffered so much,” he added.
King Obele also called for unity among the Ogoni people so that the dialogue process would be successful.
“I want to reiterate here that Eleme people should not see themselves as quite different from Ogoni people. The Eleme people and the Ogoni people should see themselves as brothers so that whatever we are doing here would be done properly for the benefit of all of us,” King Obele said.
In his address, the Co-Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey (Rtd), commended the Eleme people for their peaceful disposition during their various community town hall meetings.
He noted that the dialogue process has paved the way for healing and reconciliation from the years of neglect and marginalisation of the people, urging them to take advantage of it to present their demands before the Federal Government .
“To the people of Eleme, I offer my deepest gratitude for your peaceful disposition throughout this period of community engagement. Your commitment to dialogue has brought us to this Town Hall Meeting, a vital part of the grassroots consultations led by the Ogoni Dialogue Committee regarding the resumption of oil activities in Ogoni.
“This is a moment of opportunity, and I urge every community to present their respective memoranda. These contributions will form the backbone of our final position for negotiation, allowing us to address the years of neglect and the devastating environmental pollution that has altered our ecosystem, as highlighted in the UNEP report on Ogoni,” Archbishop Kattey stated.
The Co-Chairman informed the Eleme communities that already the Federal Government has started the confidence building measures requested by the Ogoni delegation through the signing into law of the Federal University of Environmental Technology, Saakpenwa and further thanked President Bola Tinubu for his commitment towards uplifting the fortunes of the Ogoni people.
Archbishop Kattey also commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the Rivers State Government for their support to the dialogue committee.
He said: “I extend my heartfelt thanks to our President for initiating the dialogue process that has paved the way for healing and reconciliation. The signing into law of the bill establishing the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoni, as part of the confidence-building measures requested by the Ogoni delegation, is a testament to this commitment—a promise of a brighter future for our children and communities.
“I would also like to express my appreciation to the National Security Adviser for facilitating this important dialogue and to the Governor of Rivers State, who has proven to be a true brother and friend to the Ogoni people. His recent handover of the Kira campus of the Rivers State University to the federal government ensures the smooth kick-off of our newly established university, marking a landmark achievement for our region.”
On his part, a youth leader in the area, Noble Obari Nwolu commended the dialogue committee for the job they are doing, expressing the hope that with the calibre of persons in the committee, all views would get equal consideration.
He noted that the Eleme people are deposed to the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland while urging youths of the area to get themselves equiped to benefit from the exploration activities when it begins.
“We are all saying thesame thing which is oil resumption. The oil cannot be in the ground while we are hungry so we want the oil to be exploited and the Federal Government has a different approach this time so we want to believe that their approach is going to benefit the people of Ogoni.
“So the youths of Eleme should take this as an opportunity to get themselves engaged, those that have value should add more value to themselves, learn more skills so that when this oil resumption starts properly they will be meaningfully engaged,” he stated.