Women of the oil-rich Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State have threatened to stage a nude protest if the Federal Government proceeds with plans to resume oil extraction in the area without addressing key concerns.

Under the aegis of the Ogoni Women Coalition for Sustainable Environment, the women made their stance known in a statement jointly signed by 15 women groups, including Mba Okase Initiative, Eedee Ladies of Tai, De Voice of Eleme Women Association, and League of Queens International.

The women declared that oil activities must not resume until the fundamental issues that led to the termination of oil operations in the 1990s are fully addressed.

Dr. Patience Osaroejiji, leader of Mba Okase Initiative, speaking in Port Harcourt, warned that Ogoni women would take to the streets naked if the government proceeds with the oil resumption.

?If the government disregards our position and goes ahead with oil exploration, we, the women of Ogoni, will come out en masse and protest naked until the world hears us,? she declared.

She further lamented the exclusion of Ogoni women from the ongoing consultations, stating that their voices are being neglected in critical discussions affecting their land.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Lezina Pat Ntetep, Coordinator of Eedee Ladies of Tai, stated that Ogoni women have endured years of environmental devastation caused by oil extraction and are unwilling to relive the same experience.

She stressed that the issues raised in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, which led to the suspension of oil activities, remain unresolved.

?It is disconcerting that in the rush to resume oil extraction, concerns in the Ogoni Bill of Rights remain unaddressed. Families who lost loved ones, livelihoods, and properties due to repression have not received justice,? Ntetep stated.

She also noted that the government has not completed the UNEP-recommended cleanup of decades-old oil pollution, yet it is pushing to resume operations.

The women called on the Federal Government to: halt any planned oil activities in Ogoniland, prioritize environmental restoration and complete the UNEP cleanup, decommission outdated oil infrastructure to prevent further ecological damage, restore lost livelihoods and compensate affected communities and ensure justice for victims of past repression and violence.

?Instead of rushing to extract oil, the government should focus on ecological redemption, replacing lost livelihoods, and securing justice for Ogonis still seeking closure,? Ntetep added.

The women vowed to resist any attempt to resume oil extraction in their communities until their demands are met. (Vanguard)

Update news