- Says Clearing Saro-Wiwa’s Name Now Part of Core Ogoni Demands
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) says it will not be distracted from its core development pursuits to achieve justice for the Ogoni people who have suffered tremendous injustice in Nigeria. MOSOP said two key issues that needs to be prioiritized include the exoneration of the nine innocent Ogonis murdered by the Nigerian state on November 10, 1995 and the operation of the Ogoni Development Authority(ODA). MOSOP further said while it remained undeterred in its campaign for development, it equally wants justice for those that have suffered extreme ill treatment.
President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke spoke yesterday at the national secretariat of MOSOP in Bori where he addressed chapter leaders and coordinators of MOSOP from Babbe kingdom and Bori National Territory. Nsuke said the ODA significantly captures the goals and desires of the Ogoni people to control their own development priorities and further address the economic crises faced by the Ogoni people today. He assured the coordinators and chapter leaders that the ODA was a well thought solution to the Ogoni problem and will address most of the demands in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, especially the demand to have a fair proportion of Ogoni resources set aside for Ogoni development and the desire of the Ogoni people to control their future.
Nsuke urged the chapter leaders and kingdom coordinators to continue the sensitization of their kingdoms and educate the people on the benefits of having the ODA implemented successfully.
“The operation of the Ogoni Development Authority is our core focus at this time followed by the need to clear the name of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the eight others who were murdered on November 10, 1995. We have to stay focused on these goals despite the distractions and knowing what we want, we must keep hope alive and strongly commit to what we want for ourselves, our children and our children’s children” Nsuke said.
“Let me make it very clear that the ODA had been developed as an actionable module of the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR). It clarifies the Ogoni demands and makes it easy to implement and we all have to support the idea in the interest of all parties”
The MOSOP president emphasized that the interests of the government, the oil industry and the people are fully accommodated in the ODA. He said it allows the people to control and manage their development based on their priorities while providing for increased funding for the federal government, state and local councils”
“Anyone who cherishes development must support this idea especially as it will certainly help us address decades of deprivation and conflicts between the government, the oil industry and the people” Nsuke said yesterday.
Finally, he assured that the goals of the Ogoni struggle will be achieved and our collective dreams and aspirations will be fulfilled.
“One thing I will assure you is that we will strongly pursue our goals. It is a cause to which we are strongly committed and we will achieve. he concluded.
