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Emma Njoku
The Ogoni Liberation Initiative in collaboration with Entrenuership City Network, has launched a special programme called Ogoni Reconnect, with about N10billion budgeted for the project.
President of the group, Mr Fabeke Douglas, said the fund earmarked for education, intergrated telecommunication (ITC), agriculture, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship skills development and other important industrial projects in the four Local Government Areas (LGA) and six kingdoms in Ogoni Land.
Speaking at a one-day business conference in Lagos at the weekend, Douglas said Ogoni was confronted by a high rate of youth unemployment which often leads to restiveness, kidnapping, banditry, cultisim and militancy.
“Oil exploration started in Ogoni land since 1958 and yet, we cannot boast of a good medical facility, neither do we have standard educational facilities, and we have a high rate of premature death because the oil exploration has degraded our land, air and sea,” lamented Douglas.
“Our vision is to clean up the mess we have suffered since 1958 till date. We want to reconnect with the world.”
Douglas, who unveiled a road map for a new Ogoni land, said the programme is in line with the vision of the late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa.
He said the dream Ogoni Land would be a prototype of Dubai City. He said with the N10 billion investment, the association intends to put to rest social vices and get Ogoni youths better engaged.According to him, the new investment initiatives will cut across agriculture, education, health care, sports, tourism, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment.
