There are allegations that secret drilling of crude oil has begun in some Ogoni communities, even as talks between the Federal Government and representatives of the people on the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area remain inconclusive.

Though the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Sunday by the Secretary-General of MOSOP, Stephen Nmane, insist that the citizens have embraced the idea of oil resumption because of the integrity of its leaders involved in the talks.

According to MOSOP reports of alleged compromise and alleged corruption are worrisome.

Also, MOSOP said it wanted the names of 40 Ogoni youths employed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) published for the sake of transparency, alleging that names of foreigners were smuggled onto the list.

Nmane specifically said oil drilling had been noticed in Ogoni communities in Tai and Eleme local government areas without the knowledge of the people, saying MOSOP condemned any forced re-entry into Ogoni, describing it as a betrayal of the spirit of the dialogue process.

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The statement was titled ‘Alarming Compromise of The Ogoni Oil Production Resumption Process: The Reported Massive Corruption of Leaders of The ODC’.

“It is appalling as it is disappointing that while dialogue between Abuja and Ogoni is ongoing, preliminary oil production is operationalised in parts of Ogoni by the Federal Government without the consent and social licence of the Ogoni community.

“In Ban-Ogoi and Alesa-Eleme areas, oil drilling with its attendant health and environmental toxicity is ongoing.

“To us, this is in bad faith as it betrayed the godly spirit of the dialogue.

“Therefore, we cannot but condemn this forced re-entry through the back door. Thus, we demand immediate halt of the operations and the needful done,” the statement read.

It added, “The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, is alarmed at a damning report circulating in Ogoni and across social media platforms, alleging massive economic corruption of some key leaders of the Ogoni oil resumption dialogue process.

“This is most concerning as it is at the expense of our people. Since the allegations impugn the credibility and trustworthiness of these facilitators, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) and its leadership, MOSOP would urge the body to publicly clear its name of the weighty allegations.

“It equally warned of dire consequences as Ogoni will not sit idly by while accrued benefits to the community are illicitly cornered by a greedy, heartless few pretending to work for our common good.

“Notwithstanding acknowledged doubtful integrity of some of these leaders, our people had embraced the process in the hope that envisaged opportunities offered would create enduring succour.

“The feeling that the hope would not materialise owing to corruption, occasioning anger and tension, is understandable. Hence, we call on the people to remain calm and law-abiding while efforts are made to address the issues.

“Saddeningly, information available to MOSOP indicates that some bigwigs of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee had been compromised to facilitate the re-entry. In fact, Ogoni youths who had protested at the operational bases reported that engineers at these sites told them to approach an ODC chieftain instead.

“Furthermore, the report also implicated the ODC facilitators in other shoddy deals. It revealed their involvement in another multi-million-dollar oil pipeline contract to be executed across Ogoni oil fields preparatory to oil resumption proper.”

It warned the Federal Government and investors interested in investing in Ogoni to be wary of predators.

“We would further counsel against hasty agreement with anyone or group without appropriate due diligence, as such will not be binding on us.

“We wish to make it categorically clear that all entered agreements on behalf of Ogoni are shoddy, unacceptable, and null and void,” the statement added.

In a move expected to reduce distribution costs for independent petroleum marketers and create room for lower petrol prices at the pump, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) has expanded its free petroleum product delivery initiative to Kano, Imo, Anambra and Nasarawa States.

A company statement on Sunday in Lagos, has it that the initiative, which began with deliveries to Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kaduna, Abuja and Delta States, is designed to bring petroleum products closer to marketers and retailers while removing the cost of transporting products over long distances from the refinery to various parts of the country. By absorbing the delivery cost, the refinery is reducing one of the key expenses built into the downstream distribution chain.

Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Oil & Gas, WAEP and Fertiliser, Fatima Aliko Dangote, said the initiative was designed to ensure that the benefits of domestic refining translate into tangible savings for businesses and consumers. “The value of domestic refining must ultimately be felt beyond the refinery gate. By absorbing the cost of delivering petroleum products to our customers, we are removing a significant component of the distribution burden and creating room for those savings to flow through the value chain to consumers. Our goal is to make fuel distribution more efficient, reduce avoidable costs and support more competitive pump prices across Nigeria.”

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The expansion has been welcomed by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), which said the initiative would significantly reduce some of the financial and logistical pressures confronting independent marketers and contribute to lower prices for consumers.

National Publicity Secretary and Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, said the initiative addresses a longstanding challenge in the petroleum products distribution chain, where marketers commit substantial funds to product purchases and may then have to wait for extended periods before their orders are loaded and transported.

“This gesture, if sustained, will be able to alleviate the sufferings of independent marketers,” Ukadike said. “There has been the issue of financial hold-up, whereby marketers pay for products and are not loaded for days and weeks, and they suffer unnecessary hardship bringing the product down.”

According to him, the refinery’s delivery arrangement reduces the period for which marketers’ funds remain tied up, improves cash flow and allows businesses to deploy their capital more efficiently.

“This time around, Dangote has made it very, very easy for marketers. Marketers are jubilating, and you will see the return on investment as an independent marketer. Your money will not be tied down,” he said.

Ukadike said the initiative could also have a direct impact on pump prices because transportation represents a cost that ultimately forms part of the price paid by consumers.

“You also have less risk, and you have petroleum products at your doorstep. Other consumers will also see that our pump price will not continue to go up. The more Dangote brings down its pump price, the more independent marketers will bring down theirs,” he said.

The reduction in distribution costs is particularly significant for marketers serving locations far from the refinery. Under conventional distribution arrangements, petroleum products transported over long distances incur additional costs associated with haulage, vehicle operations, driver expenses, insurance, road risks and other logistics. Removing or reducing these costs can improve the economics of supplying those markets and create greater scope for competitive retail pricing.

The initiative also reduces the operational risks associated with moving large volumes of petroleum products over long distances. By taking products closer to