The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and stop alleged moves by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to “foist” Sahara Energy on the people of Ogoni as the operator of OML 11.
MOSOP, in a letter signed by its President Fegalo Nsuke, claimed that NNPCL sidestepped due process in the selection of Sahara Energy as the preferred operator of OML 11, noting that the people of Ogoni are against the move.
In the letter titled “OML 11: unholy secret deals in NNPC threatens oil resumption In Ogoni”, MOSOP called on the President to prevail against the “unholy deal” between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC and the Sahara Energy, describing it is “an alliance for resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni” against the wishes of the people.
MOSOP also called on the NNPC Limited to halt further discussions with Sahara Energy Limited and to discontinue discussions on a Joint Venture Agreement with the Sahara Energy Limited over the Ogoni fields within OML 11.
“They should keep the Ogoni fields off limits,” MOSOP said, warning that barely 30 years after a brutal crisis that cruelly affected the national economy, another oil war may be looming in Ogoni kingdom of Rivers state following clandestine moves of some oil operating firms to resume production in the area.
“Since 1993, following disagreements with the previous operator, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, the Ogoni oil fields within OML 11 have remained redundant, stranded and undeveloped,” the letter read in part.
“This unfortunate situation has trapped a proven oil production capacity of 500,000 barrels per day to remain stranded under the soil where the Ogoni people walk daily without electricity, water, healthcare and in an environment that is polluted and unfit for human habitation.”
MOSOP also expressed concerns about the activities of Sahara Energy Limited “to frustrate our current peace efforts through a desperate, backdoor attempt to force itself on the Ogoni people despite our outright rejection of the company due to their utter display of untrustworthy character and traits not different from the previous operator, SPDC.”
“Under the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Sahara Energy surreptitiously signed a Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) with WAGL Energy Limited, an affiliate of the NNPC Limited. In February 2023 without passing through a due process ab initio, Sahara Energy further attempted to buy the OML 11 asset at a paltry sum of $250 Million and was turned down by the House of Representatives who described the deal as an “under the table covert arrangement,” MOSOP further wrote.
“Your Excellency, the attitude of Sahara Energy Limited to coercively take over the Ogoni oil fields does not only threaten the peace of the Ogoni people but also signals a potential for a fresh regional, Niger Delta crisis given the fact that a repression of the Ogoni people will attract the sympathy of the rest of the Niger Delta region. Sir, these threats must be avoided and eliminated by keeping Sahara Energy off limits of the Ogoni oilfields.”
MOSOP further demanded the removal of the Ogoni fields from the existing Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara and WAGL for the OML 11 concession on the grounds that it did not follow due process, calling for the Ogoni block to be assigned to an operator that is acceptable to all parties and willing to make concessions for Ogoni development.
