Samuel Marshall
Barivule B. Akpo
Beauty David Nteugot
The Ogoni people of the Niger Delta have once again embarked on their long-held quest for political self-governance, through the initiative to establish Bori State. A fervent appeal was made by the Ogoni delegation to the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review – during the South-South Zonal Public Hearing held in Calabar on Saturday, 19th July, 2025 – urging that their aspiration for political autonomy be factored into the ongoing constitutional amendments in Nigeria.
In an exclusive discussion with The Newswriter, Sir Hon. Dugdale Kpobari Badom, the President of the Bori State Movement, shed light on the importance of this effort from his Port Harcourt residence on the same day. The envisioned Bori State aims to unite the Ogoni, Andoni, Eleme, Opobo, Nkoro, and Oyigbo ethnic communities currently under Rivers State. He articulated that this new political entity would serve as a channel for long-overdue recognition, empowering the communities to harness their abundant natural resources for self-driven development.
Taking the helm after the death of Senator (Gbene) Cyrus Nunieh, who initiated the Movement, Hon. Badom expressed his frustration over the persistent marginalization of Ogoniland, which remains underdeveloped despite being rich in oil reserves. He pointed the finger at successive Nigerian governments for neglecting the region’s development. Hon. Badom cited the Ogoni Bill of Rights, a landmark document authored in 1990 by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which advocated for political autonomy, economic sovereignty, ecological safeguards, and equitable political representation for the Ogoni population.
He quoted a vital passage from the bill asserting: “A section is saying the Ogoni people want their political autonomy by any name it is called and by any name that we have chosen.” He reiterated that the quest for establishing Bori State embodies this profound aspiration for self-administration.
Reflecting on recent dialogues, Hon. Badom disclosed that a prominent delegation of Ogoni representatives engaged with President Bola Tinubu last month. “We conveyed to the President that the Ogoni people have sacrificed by providing oil and gas facilities that have supported the nation, yet they have received nothing in return,” he noted. According to Badom, President Tinubu responded positively and indicated that since the government plans to access Ogoni oil, “something will be done,” although the specifics of this promise remain uncertain.
Hon. Badom shared that President Tinubu has since commissioned a special panel tasked with touring all local government areas in Ogoniland. This has resulted in what Hon. Badom described as a unified and explicit recommendation: to create a new state for the Ogoni people.
He passionately contended: “Carve us out of Rivers State – you will lose nothing; we will gain much,” emphasizing that without this move, one cannot expect the citizens to vacate their homeland.
Addressing rumours suggesting some stakeholders declared, “Like it or not, the oil will not leave the place,” Hon. Badom stood firm, asserting: “We’re the owners of the land. You cannot extract the oil peacefully. The gas will spoil, and we will let it flare.”
Hon. Badom highlighted the presence of proficient manpower in Ogoniland – native individuals, who are both educated and skilled across diverse sectors, eager to pragmatically administer and utilize their resources. “If you’re telling us that we lack the means, and so others must manage Ogoni wealth, there should be compensation. You cannot do everything for us,” he argued.
In a concluding plea to the federal authorities, Badom asserted: “Transform this demand into a state. We’re not leaving Nigeria—it’s still within Nigeria. That is our humble request.”
He was questioned about whether securing statehood would facilitate resource control, to which he replied: “If you have a state, you can manage what you possess in partnership with those who support you.”
This renewed pursuit for Bori State feeds into the broader national dialogue concerning restructuring and fair resource stewardship in Nigeria.****
