The Awareness Rally to Stop Petroleum Resumption in Ogoniland continues with unrelenting momentum, as the people of Gokana, a proud kingdom of four provinces, have drawn a bold line in the sand. Chiefs, elders, and community leaders have issued a resounding declaration: those who deceived President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into believing there was consensus for petroleum resumption must be banned and held accountable.
Gokana is not just a name—it is sacred ground. It was here, in Giokoo, that the Ogoni Four were murdered, leading to the execution of the Ogoni Nine, including the iconic Ken Saro-Wiwa. The blood of martyrs still cries out from the soil, and the people of Gokana have vowed to sacrifice everything to prevent further desecration.
In a petition submitted to the President of the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA), signed and thumb-printed by representatives from every village in Gokana, the people demand customary trial for those who falsely claimed Ogoni support for petroleum resumption. This is not a symbolic gesture—it is a binding covenant of resistance.
Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, President of OCIA, responded with clarity and conviction:
“The Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority is listening. We hear the anguish of Gokana. No posthumous honor can heal the wounds inflicted by brutal murders, heartless hanging, and decades of exploitation and betrayal.”
Dr. Diigbo dismissed President Tinubu’s suggestion of resuming petroleum operations in Ogoniland as wishful thinking, driven by a reckless economic trial-and-error policy. Dr. Diigbo declared unequivocally:
• Ogoni self-government will never permit recolonization.
• Nigeria does not, cannot, and will not own Ogoni rights.
• The wealth of Ogoniland belongs to the Ogoni people—not to Abuja, not to multinational corporations.
The Ogoni people have taken full control of their ancestral lands and will pursue development on their own terms. If Nigeria continues to threaten the homeland, OCIA will open its doors to international investors and security partners—not in oil, but in sustainable development.
Dr. Diigbo emphasized that the OCIA Economic Plan is focused on non-petroleum sectors, and any attempt to revive oil operations in Ogoni is nothing more than a dangerous rumor.
He further stated: “The true consensus is not whispered lies in the corridors of Aso Rock—it is the thunderous voice of the people, united in mass participation and public declaration to stop petroleum resumption in Ogoniland.”
Finally, a stern warning was issued:
“Those who lied about consensus to extract oil from Ogoniland will face the consequences. If their falsehoods lead to unrest or endanger lives and property, they will be held responsible.”
The message from Gokana is clear, forceful, and final: Ogoni will not be silenced. Ogoni will not be exploited. Ogoni will not surrender.
Let this be heard across Nigeria and beyond—the spirit of Ken Saro-Wiwa lives on, and Ogoni stands united, Diigbo asserted.
Credit: The Nigerian Voice
