Says government should respect Ogoni rights
Calls for the Release of detained reporter, Omoleye Sowore
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) says the struggle of the Ogoni people in Nigeria is for human rights and justice. A resolution of the MOSOP Central Committee, also known as the Steering Committee which serves as the highest decision making organ of the organization, called on the Nigerian government and people to respect the political rights of the Ogoni people to self determination.
The Steering Committee which held at the MOSOP secretariat in Bori, traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people today, August 3, 2019 strongly rejected calls by agents of Shell for oil resumption in Ogoniland noting that the Ogoni environment cannot support oil mining at this time.
The Speteering Committee resolved that oil resumption will lead to the death of the Ogoni people and therefore remain unacceptable to the people.
The Steering Committee expressed the desire of the Ogoni people to enter into dialogue with all parties to resolve all contentious issues which led to the exit of Shell from Ogoniland over 20years ago.
Addressing newsman shortly after the meeting, President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said the Ogoni people are deeply committed to a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria where citizens rights are protected and all ethnic groups are treated equally.
Nsuke said “given our peculiar circumstances especially the Shell-backed state repression which led to the death of over 4,000 Ogonis, oil resumption will be resisted by the Ogoni people and government response will be the usual deployment of soldiers who will shoot and kill the Ogoni people” He said to avoid further deaths, the Ogoni people have resolved not to support the resumption of oil mining in the land at this time”
Nsuke also said it was unjust that the resources of the Ogoni people be carted away to build the rest of Nigeria leaving the Ogoni people in the most terrible conditions.
The MOSOP president asserted that the easy way out of the problem is for the Nigerian government and people to respect the Ogoni people, treat them fairly by respecting their political rights to self determination as demanded in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.
The MOSOP Steering Committee also condemned the arrest and detention of the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore. Describing the arrest of Sowore as an attempt to intimidate citizens from expressing their likes and dislikes, president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said citizens should enjoy the rights to peaceful expression including peaceful protests.
While calling for the unconditional release of Sowore, Nsuke noted that the “revolution protests” proposed by Sowore does not represent a threat to society but simply gives government the opportunity to consider other views on what it does.
Signed:
Dcn Monday Neeka Ziinu
General Secretary, MOSOP
