Nation
FG Plotting Fresh Ogoni Executions, MOSOP Alerts
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed its worries over disturbing signs indicating that the Nigerian authorities are plotting fresh Ogoni executions.
This is coming barely 26 years after the brutal and barbaric execution of nine Ogoni civil rights activists, including celebrated rights campaigner, Ken Saro-Wiwa, on November 10, 1995.
MOSOP, in a statement, yesterday, and signed by its Secretary-General, Alex Akori, said the group is deeply unsettled that the Nigerian Government through its agency, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), was sponsoring crises and encouraging conflicts to justify another military crackdown, kill and maim the Ogoni people in desperation to force the resumption of oil production in Ogoni while the state was building prisons and cemeteries in the area.
The statement added that “the recent assault by the NPDC has made the intentions of the Nigerian Government to build prisons and cemeteries in Ogoni become clearer.
“It is now obvious that the government is aware of the plan to kill and imprison us for asking for basic rights.
“MOSOP notes that these actions should not be taken lightly and the world needs to come together to stop this genocide.
“This is genocide and we should not all fold our arms and watch this happen in the 21st century.
“MOSOP condemns the sneaky moves of the NPDC and its allies to violate the rights of the Ogoni people. We note that such backdoor moves will not and have never helped the situation”.
The statement further reads, “We want to make unequivocally clear that the Ogoni people have never been completely against the resumption of drilling activities in Ogoni.
“We have, however, insisted on dialogue as a peaceful means to avert the conflicts and loss of Ogoni lives which has been associated with attempts to force oil production in Ogoni.
“MOSOP urges the Nigerian Government to act and treat citizens with some respect noting that the Ogoni campaigns for justice and fundamental human rights are justifiable. We emphasize that whereas the Ogoni campaigns for basic rights have cost the loss of an estimated 4,000 lives, we do not want any Ogoni lives to be lost anymore.
“We, therefore, call on all parties including Shell, the NPDC and its allies to desist from causing any crises in Ogoni.
“MOSOP notes that it is the right of the Ogoni people to be treated fairly in Nigeria and strongly condemn the government’s use of divisive tactics to push forward its desperation for oil in Ogoni as it portends danger to the lives and peace of local community dwellers who will certainly resist the move.
“MOSOP, therefore, calls for proper and genuine dialogue with all critical stakeholders to address the disputes between Ogoni, Shell and the Nigerian Government.
“We note that the Ogoni people have suffered tremendously in Nigeria and need not be stretched further. We strongly consider the NPDC’s attempt to force oil resumption in Ogoni an assault on the rights of the Ogoni people as an indigenous community in Nigeria.
“While we stress that the Ogoni people were not completely against the resumption of oil mining activities, MOSOP insists on the free, prior and informed consent of the Ogoni people rather than the present use of state-sponsored, crude methods through the NPDC.
“We consider Nigeria’s attempt to forcefully resume oil production in Ogoni against the wishes of the people as coercive, a violation of the rights of the Ogoni people as an indigenous community and in contravention of International Conventions on the Rights of Indigenous peoples.
“Nigeria’s conduct in Ogoni was unacceptable especially at a time when the oil spills from its operations in over 60 years were yet to be cleaned.
“It is on record that Shell and the Nigerian Government have messed up the Ogoni environment and the consequences of the pollution have led to strange illnesses associated with the death of over 300,000 Ogonis in the past 60 years.
“MOSOP condemns every action of the government designed to cause fresh oil spills while they were yet to clean the previous pollution.
“We advise the Nigerian Government to do the right thing to enjoy the support of citizens and not demonstrate the strength of the state to its own citizens.
“MOSOP urges the Ogoni people to remain nonviolent and peaceful as leaders of the organisation work to address these issues in the best way possible.”
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
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