Breaking: Senator, APC Chiefs Forced To Escape As Furious Youths Disrupt Meeting ”Ogoni Oil Drama”

Breaking: Senator, APC Chiefs Forced To Escape As Furious Youths Disrupt Meeting ”Ogoni Oil Drama”

Tension gripped Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoni land, on Saturday as a scheduled congress to deliberate the resumption of oil exploration in the region was cut short due to disorganization and rising tempers among attendees.

Naija News reports that President Bola Tinubu had, in a meeting with Ogoni leaders in Abuja over two weeks ago, tasked them with consulting their communities regarding the proposed oil exploration and reporting back with their feedback.……READ  MORE 

In response, a congress was convened at the Peace and Freedom Centre in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, gathering representatives from the four Ogoni local government areas: Khana, Gokana, Tai, and Eleme.

By 1 PM, the hall was packed beyond capacity, with hundreds more crowding outside. Organizers hastily shifted the meeting to an open field to accommodate the growing crowd.

Notable figures in attendance included Senator Barry Mpigo (Rivers South-East), Chief Victor Giadom, Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ledum Mitee, former President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), and Ignatius Kattey, Co-Chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.

Despite the large turnout, the meeting, which started around 2 PM, lasted less than an hour. Leaders, including Mitee and Kattey, briefly outlined the meeting’s purpose, while Senator Mpigo urged unity and peace among the Ogoni people.

However, the abrupt departure of VIPs sparked anger among the youths, who felt the meeting was poorly organized and excluded genuine community input. Frustrated participants protested, brandishing placards that demanded transparency in the consultation process.

A youth leader from Khana LGA, identified as Emma, criticized the arrangement, saying, “How can they call Ogoni people from four LGAs for the first meeting in such a small place and expect to achieve results? Many people want to speak. They should have started from the kingdoms or LGAs before calling a larger congress to harmonize views.”

The chaotic end to the congress has raised concerns about whether sincere consultations will occur before any decisions are made about resuming oil exploration in Ogoni land.