MOSOP-USA Rejects Resumption Of Oil Production In Ogoni, Demands Political Autonomy

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People in the United States of America (MOSOP-USA) has rejected the proposed resumption of oil exploration and production in Ogoniland, insisting that the move should not proceed without addressing the longstanding grievances and demands of the Ogoni people.

In an open letter dated October 1, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Prof. Don Baridam, MOSOP-USA said it was reiterating its position, as well as that of Ogoni people in the diaspora, against the proposed resumption of oil production in Ogoni.

The organisation said the Congress of Ogoni People and MOSOP-USA had already returned a “NO VERDICT” on the resumption of oil production, arguing that decades of oil exploration had left Ogoni with severe environmental degradation and unresolved grievances. 

According to the letter, oil exploration and production in Ogoni since Shell discovered and began producing crude oil there in 1958 had generated substantial revenues for Nigeria and multinational oil corporations, while the Ogoni people, it alleged, continued to face neglect, environmental degradation and human rights concerns.

MOSOP-USA also criticised the Federal Government for prioritising the resumption of oil production while, according to the organisation, outstanding demands for environmental restoration, political recognition and self-determination remained unresolved.

The organisation said it was particularly concerned about what it described as the failure to adequately recognise the demand for political autonomy contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR).

It stated that the practical expression of such autonomy within Nigeria’s existing federal framework would be the creation of a state for the Ogoni people, which it referred to as Bori State.

MOSOP-USA noted that the creation of a state for Ogoni was reportedly raised during the town hall meetings conducted by the Ogoni Dialogue and Consultation Committee (ODC), but expressed concern that the demand appeared as item seven in the committee’s report to the Federal Government. 

The organisation further questioned the process through which the Ogoni Dialogue and Consultation Committee was constituted and operated, arguing that the process had not adequately reflected what it described as the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

It said Ogoni’s demands had already been clearly articulated in the Ogoni Bill of Rights more than three decades ago and argued that repeated consultations should not become a means of continually returning the people to the starting point without resolving substantive issues. 

MOSOP-USA therefore called for what it described as genuine reconciliation and meaningful resolution of historical grievances arising from repression, military invasions, destruction of communities, killings, executions and displacement, particularly during the 1994–1996 period.

The organisation said any confidence-building process should include political autonomy for Ogoni, reparations and accountability for oil companies that operated in the area, as well as measures to prevent a recurrence of past abuses. It also criticised the continued state of the Port Harcourt-Eleme Federal Road, popularly known as the East-West Road, while the government focuses on efforts to restart oil production. 

On the future of Nigeria’s economy, MOSOP-USA urged the Federal Government to take advantage of the global shift towards renewable energy and diversify the economy away from dependence on crude oil.

It called for increased investment in human capital, innovation and creative competition, arguing that economic diversification could provide greater prosperity and stability for the country. 

Among its key demands, MOSOP-USA called for the implementation of the Ogoni Bill of Rights, beginning with the creation of a state for the Ogoni people as a prerequisite for dialogue with the Federal Government.

It further demanded that any proposed Ogoni State should encompass the Ogoni territories and local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme and Oyigbo, saying this would preserve the unity of the Ogoni people. 

The group also called on the Federal Government to publicly acknowledge and apologise for what it described as historical and continuing injustices against the Ogoni people.

It demanded a review of the Military Tribunal’s trial and convictions involving the Ogoni Nine, the exoneration of those convicted, justice and proper burial for the Ogoni Four, and national honours for Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists who were executed. 

MOSOP-USA also demanded the full implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) August 2011 report on environmental remediation and restoration in Ogoniland, with independent and credible environmental and scientific bodies monitoring the process.

It said discussions about resuming oil operations should not proceed while Ogoniland remains severely polluted. The organisation additionally called for compensation and reparations for communities affected by environmental damage, health problems and economic losses arising from oil extraction. 

Another major demand was an immediate Environmental Assessment and Health Impact Study (EAHIS) in Ogoni to determine whether the proposed resumption of oil production would be environmentally sound and appropriate for the people and the land. 

The organisation concluded by reaffirming its opposition to oil resumption, stating that no group of elites should negotiate the resumption of oil production against what it described as the collective will of the Ogoni people.

It also called for unity among Ogoni civil society organisations, politicians, traditional rulers, elders, farmers, fishermen, women, youths, members of the diaspora and other citizens in determining the way forward.