Exonerate Saro-Wiwa, Others, Produce Oil In Ogoni, MOSOP Pokes FG

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has vowed that it would not allow oil exploration and production to resume in Ogoniland until the Federal Government exonerates late Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni sons of criminal charges pressed against them.
The MOSOP also demanded stop on the construction of a Federal Prison and Cemetery in Ogoniland, noting that the projects were targeted at denigrating the area.
The body, which made these calls, yesterday, during a media briefing on the 25th Memorial of Ogoni Martyrs by its Coordinating Committee in Port Harcourt, urged the Federal Government to speed up the clean-up and remediation of the devastated Ogoni environment.
Speaking, the leader of the Coordinating Committee for the 25th Remembrance of the nine Ogoni sons, Dr. Gbeneme Kpae, noted that oil exploration would only be allowed in the area, if Saro-Wiwa and others were cleared of the criminal charges against them.
He accused the Federal Government of not consulting with the Ogoni people before sitting the two projects in the area: cemetery and prison, stressing that the natives need justice and industries.
Kpae said: “We call on the Federal Government to stop the construction of a Federal Government Prison and Cemetery in Ogoni as we have been informed that the prison is to lock up Ogonis who demand justice; and cemetery is for mass graves for Ogonis who oppose resumption of oil drilling in Ogoni.
“The Ogonis wish to remind all Nigerians and the international community that we will continue to oppose oil exploration and exploitation in Ogoni until Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists are exonerated, and the clean-up of Ogoniland is completed as recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme.
“Twenty-five years after the execution of our heroes, the Ogoni people want to breathe fresh air now. What Ogoni people want is justice, fairness and equity”, MOSOP insisted.
Meanwhile, a member of the committee, Mr. Celestine Akpobari, alleged that the Federal Government has a sinister motive for sitting prison and cemetery in the area.
Akpobari stated that Ogoni people were in dire need of sitting developmental projects to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths to curb restiveness.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana