MOSOP Calls For Northern Support On Resource Control

As the National Confer
ence progresses, the apex organization of the Ogoni people, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), has called on the people of Northern Nigeria including its delegates to the conference, to rescind its planned resistance to issues of state creation, resource ownership and control supported by the South.
MOSOP said this has become imperative in view of reported northern resolve to stand against any proposal concerning state creation, resource ownership and control that may be presented by any group at the meeting.
Speaking from Europe in reaction to reports relating to the above subject matter, the President of MOSOP, Mr. Legborsi Saro Pyagbara said, “the expressed northern sentiments no doubt betrayed sinister motives, which in our view, may not augur well for the conference and north/south relationship.”
Pyagbara said it was alarming that at crucial times in this country such as this, the north was behaving as if other parts of the country are mere vassals that have no real legitimacy and rights and must subject to their whims and caprices.
According to him, “our bitter experience has been that any time that the North wishes to get its way against the interests of other nationalities in Nigeria, especially on the issue of resource ownership and control, it emphasizes that the present arrangement impoverishes the North and would vent its opposition with threats.”
He noted that when groundnut was the mainstay of the economy, the North controlled benefits that accrued therefore and communities outside of their region, especially those of the Niger Delta, accepted it in good faith.
”We would like to make it very clear that Ogoni participation in the conference is mainly to pursue its interest of state creation, resource ownership and control, and environmental remediation, restoration and protection, without which we would have had no business with the conference. If the north did not oppose the creation of many states and local government councils in their region that are funded with oil and gas resources from the Niger Delta, it would only make sense that they rescind their reported questionable stance and support us.”