Kadilo Kabari, the traditional ruler of the Barako Ancient Community in Rivers State, has called for the implementation of the Ogoni Bill of Rights and demanded justice for the Ogoni people. The monarch made this demand during the Uula-Mii Giaa/Lol-Giaa Tor Festival, which marks the beginning of a new planting season in Ogoniland.
Kabari emphasized the need for compensation for affected communities and clearing the names of the Ogoni Four. He also advocated for holistic reconciliation of bereaved families before the exoneration of the Ogoni Nine, conducting proper funeral rites, and providing compensation for all lives lost.
The monarch further demanded the resumption of development, including exploration and production, at Yormene Well 13 of the Bomu oil fields. He offered community land to host a large-scale gas-powered energy infrastructure or turbine, highlighting Barako’s abundant gas reserves.
Kabari’s demands come as Ogoni women are seeking compensation and dialogue before the resumption of crude oil drilling in Ogoniland. The women emphasized that their concerns, as expressed in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, are yet to be addressed, and that justice for those killed during the struggle has not been achieved.
The Ogoni Bill of Rights describes the Ogoni case as a genocide committed by multi-national oil companies under the supervision of the federal government. The bill demands fairer benefits for the Ogoni people from oil wealth, including compensation for ecological damage caused by oil activities.
