MOSOP reports NNPCL to Tinubu over Sahara Energy deal

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has reported the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to President Bola Tinubu accusing NNPCL of sidestepping due process in the selection of Sahara Energy as the preferred operator of OML 11.

MOSOP, in a letter to the President, signed by its factional President, Fegalo Nsuke, stated that Ogoni people were against the move calling him to intervene in the alleged moves by the NNPC to foist Sahara Energy on the people of Ogoni as the operator of OML 11.

In the letter titled “OML 11: unholy secret deals in NNPC threatens oil resumption In Ogoni”, MOSOP called on President Tinubu to prevail on the “unholy deal” between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL) and the Sahara Energy, noting that it is “an alliance for resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni” against the wishes of the people.

MOSOP also called on NNPC Limited to halt further discussions with Sahara Energy Limited and to discontinue discussions on a Joint Venture Agreement with Sahara Energy Limited over the Ogoni fields within OML 11.

“They should keep the Ogoni fields off limits,” it insisted.

Ogoni people under the umbrella of Mosop have for nearly 30 years mounted stiff resistance to resumption of crude oil production in their crude-enriched land after the deadly crisis that trailed the killing of environmental rights activist and first President of Mosop, Ken Saro Wiwa, and 8 others by the late.Gen. Sani Abacha military junta.

After vehemently refusing the return of Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC to Ogoniland, the people had since demanded that they must be part of the determination of who the next operator of the Ogoni oil fields should be and the terms of resumption of oil production on their land.

Mosop is therefore warning against another looming oil war in Ogoni kingdom following clandestine moves of some oil operating firms to resume production in the area.
Part of its letter to President Tinubu reads:

“Since 1993, following disagreements with the previous operator, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, the Ogoni oil fields within OML 11 have remained redundant, stranded, and undeveloped.

“This unfortunate situation has trapped a proven oil production capacity of 500,000 barrels per day to remain stranded under the soil where the Ogoni people walk daily without electricity, water, healthcare and in an environment that is polluted and unfit for human habitation”.

MOSOP also expressed concern about the activities of Sahara Energy Limited “to frustrate our current peace efforts through a desperate, backdoor attempt to force itself on the Ogoni people despite our outright rejection of the company due to their utter display of untrustworthy character and traits not different from the previous operator, SPDC.

“Under the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Sahara Energy surreptitiously signed a Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) with WAGL Energy Limited, an affiliate of the NNPC Limited. In February 2023 without passing through a due process ab initio, Sahara Energy further attempted to buy the OML 11 asset at a paltry sum of $250 Million and was turned down by the House of Representatives who described the deal as an ‘under the table covert arrangement’.

“Your Excellency, the attitude of Sahara Energy Limited to coercively takeover the Ogoni oilfields does not just threaten the peace of the Ogoni people but signals a potential for a fresh regional, Niger Delta crises given the fact that a repression of the Ogoni people will attract the sympathy of the rest of the Niger Delta region.

“Sir, these threats must be avoided and eliminated by keeping Sahara Energy off limits of the Ogoni oilfields”.

MOSOP however demanded that there should be the removal of the Ogoni fields from the existing Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara and WAGL for the OML 11 concession because it did not follow due process.

It said that the Ogoni block should be assigned to an operator that is acceptable to all parties and willing to make concessions for Ogoni development.