A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside, has strongly opposed the planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
His concerns come after President Bola Tinubu signed a bill establishing the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) in Ogoni and expressed support for revisiting the Ogoni Bill of Rights. 
Moreover, the president invited Ogoni leaders to Aso Rock for discussions ahead of potential oil exploration, a move Peterside believes is premature.
Peterside, a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), emphasized that before any exploration begins, several contentious issues must be resolved.
According to him, “If I must be sincere with you, it will be premature to resume oil exploration in Ogoni land.
What I think, and I think that is the part the government has also chosen, is to do further consultations, build trust, and show genuine commitment to real environmental governance.”
His statement highlights concerns about environmental degradation, which has plagued Ogoniland for decades due to past oil activities.
Furthermore, Peterside pointed out the lack of transparency in oil exploration, not just in Ogoniland but across the Niger Delta.
He stressed that “the challenge all along has been the opaque nature of oil exploration not just in Ogoni land but in the entire Niger Delta.
And the fact that the way benefits derivable from oil exploration is distributed to the exclusion of the people of Niger Delta is a big question mark.
And until we address that in a transparent manner, then we will not make much progress.”
His remarks suggest that before any progress is made, there must be clear policies that ensure the Ogoni people benefit from their resources.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s administration has continued discussions on how to address past injustices in Ogoniland.
While his government has pledged support for the Ogoni community, Peterside believes that without concrete measures for environmental governance and benefit-sharing, oil exploration could create more harm than good.
Therefore, he urged the government to prioritize consultation and transparency before making any major decisions on oil activities in Ogoniland.
