The Ogoni Association of Persons Living with Disabilities has demanded the implementation of a five-point agenda before oil production resumes in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
The association made the demand during a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday. It called on the Ogoni Development Commission (ODC) and the Federal Government to include people living with disabilities in decisions about the resumption of oil production.
The group said it did not oppose development or the lawful resumption of oil activities. However, it insisted that the process must protect the rights and interests of people living with disabilities.
“We are not opposed to development. We do not oppose the responsible and lawful resumption of oil production. We oppose exclusion, discrimination, injustice, and decisions that determine our future without our participation,” the association said.
Group Calls for Inclusion in Oil Resumption Plans
The association said its members must participate in discussions and decisions concerning oil production in Ogoniland.
It stressed that their involvement would help ensure that their rights, welfare and interests receive adequate consideration as plans progress.
The group also called on the ODC and the Federal Government to consider its five-point agenda during the process.
The association did not provide further details of the five-point agenda in the information released about the briefing.
Ogoniland Oil Resumption Debate
Oil production in Ogoniland has remained a major issue for communities, government agencies and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta.
The association’s demand adds the concerns of people living with disabilities to discussions about the proposed resumption of oil production.
It said it would oppose any process marked by exclusion, discrimination or injustice. However, the group maintained that it supported responsible and lawful development.
The association urged the ODC and the Federal Government to consider its demands as discussions continue.
The statement did not specify when oil production would resume or how the authorities would respond to the five-point agenda.
Further details about the proposed measures and the association’s expectations were not included in the information provided.
