Tony John, Port Harcourt
Ogoni ethnic nationality has released a memorandum on benchmarks for engagement between them and companies desiring to operate Ogoni fields in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11.
This was contained in a draft document by the Ogoni Oil and Gas Production Committee, chaired by Ben Naanen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The draft memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed by 20 persons, outlined 27 conditions that should be looked into by prospective oil operators.
Delivering the document to notable Ogoni groups and individuals, Naanen said a prospective oil company should cede to the Ogoni community 15 percent of its share of the equity in their oil and gas fields.
He said the proceeds from the Ogoni equity should be used for the development of the area, adding that there would be Ogoni Central Trust Fund, with certain amounts allotted to various groups in the ethnic nationality.
“Company XYZ and the Ogoni people shall agree on adequate local content policy in respect of employment and business opportunities as part of the MoU.
“Company XYZ shall implement in Ogoni, a robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. The contribution to CSR projects shall be based on the ratio of equity holding between XYZ company and the Ogoni community,” he said.
Earlier, President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi Pyagbara, recalled that over 2,000 Ogoni sons and daughters have lost their lives in the struggle.
Pyagbara said there was no way oil production would resume in their land without looking into what led to the death of thousand of their people.
He said MOSOP had looked into the best oil operation practices in the world to know what should be the direction of the Ogoni struggle, adding that the document submitted by the committee would provide the way forward for oil production in Ogoniland.