Ogonis Declare Support For Buhari

The four local government areas of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State comprising Eleme, Tai, Gokana and Khana have unanimously pledged their support to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming presidential election.
The Ogonis made their resolution yesterday at a brief ceremony to welcome General Muhammadu Buhari and other top ranking party officials to Saakpenwa, headquarters of Tai Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking at the occasion, Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty King G. N. Gininwa thanked General Muhammadu Buhari for accepting to visit Ogoni land.
He said, “I want to welcome you with your entourage. We want to thank Governor Amaechi for talking to you to accept to visit Ogoniland. Ogonis have cried a lot, we want a redeemer and we believe you are the one”, he said.
Also, in an address read by the Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Magnus Ngei Abe, on behalf of the Ogoni people the people expressed their support for Buhari.
“Your Excellency, as a former federal commissioner for petroleum Resources, you are aware of the impact of oil exploration and exploitation that has caused colossal degradation of our environment. And you also know that Ogoniland has been a major contributor in oil production since 1958, yet as the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg, we have been rewarded with devastated environment and our traditional occupation of fishing and farming are continuously going extinct”.
“Three and half years after the Federal Government sponsored UNEP report on Ogoni soil, no remedial effort has been made to address the damage outlined in the report despite the promise of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s government to implement the content unconditionally”.
“As Ogonis we are pained that three years after the government got a report that water in Ogoniland is contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen, at levels of 900 times above the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline, the situation remains the same”.
“As a deprived people, we have consistently placed in the domains of all governments, the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) that seeks for equal representation of Ogonis in the affairs of the nation”.
“Your Excellency, like Abraham Lincoln, your own era to serve and change this nation in line with the aspiration of our founding fathers has come, and we have decided to be part of history. As Ogonis, we know you have demonstrated an unimpeachable pedigree, high level of discipline, incorruptible and development-oriented leadership qualities as evident in your days in office as Head of States”.
On his part, Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who also doubles as the Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, called on the Ogonis not to be intimidated by the use of military by the ruling party (PDP) during the elections.
Amaechi also urged the people to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels during the general elections.
According to him “If you vote for PDP Ogoni Kingdom will die… you don’t have a strong governor coming on the side of PDP. Who is a strong character?… Those characters we have on the other side are thieves….Ask them…Nyesom Wike was my Chief of Staff, I have been speaker for eight years…show me the house that I have…speaker eight years, governor eight years…”
Also speaking on the environmental degradation of Ogoniland, Governor Amaechi said, “when UNEP came here, when they came to Nigeria to do a study of environmental crisis in Ogoniland, you people didn’t want them.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) receiving a sword of honour from the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM King G. N. Giniwa during his visit to Ogoniland.