- Acknowledges that now is the best time to address the Ogoni problem
- Commits to Ogoni development and reverse huge losses in Ogoni oil revenue exceeding $178 Billion.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has rejected the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Sahara Energy as replacements for the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in Ogoni. Addressing a congress of MOSOP in Biara, Gokana local government area on Sunday, July 3, 2022, the President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, said the NPDC and Sahara Energy were a conspiracy against the Ogoni people and were sponsoring internal conflicts in Ogoni to force their way to resume oil production in the area against the will of the people.
While acknowledging that now is the best time to resolve the Ogoni problem, Nsuke said the NPDC and Sahara Energy were out of the equation as they were totally rejected, likely to escalate tension in the area and the Niger Delta by extension thereby posing real threat to national security and as such were not acceptable to the Ogoni people.
The MOSOP president however noted that MOSOP was willing to cooperate with peaceful methods of dialogue to resolve all issues and urged the government to accept MOSOP’s position recommending the operation of an “Ogoni Development Authority (ODA)“.
Nsuke who later addressed a meeting of chapter leaders of MOSOP at the MOSOP Secretariat yesterday, July 4, 2022 said the proposals of MOSOP on how best to resolve the Ogoni problem through the operation of an Ogoni Development Authority (ODA) provides a fine opportunity for the Nigerian government to finally lay the issues to rest at this moment.
He assured that working with the MOSOP proposals will resolve the Ogoni problems without any blood spilt. He further said it was absolutely unnecessary to deploy security forces to kill and maim civil rights actors in Ogoni over an issue that can be clearly resolved through peaceful means..
Nsuke noted that the approval by the Central Committee of MOSOP for the implementation of an Ogoni Development Authority to drive a new, peaceful and prosperous Ogoni is absolutely acceptable and defines a clear path to resolve this protracted Ogoni problem which has led to the death of over 4,000 persons and lasted for over three decades.
“Now is the best time to resolve the Ogoni problem through the operations of the Ogoni Development Authority. It is also important to note that as a people, the NPDC and Sahara who sponsor conflicts in Ogoni are not acceptable options in this process and are both rejected by MOSOP as replacements for Shell in Ogoni.” Nsuke said yesterday.
The MOSOP leader further said MOSOP expects the government to take advantage of this fine opportunity to resolve this problem and reverse the huge revenue losses of over 29 years which currently exceeds $178 Billion (excluding revenues from gas sales) since Shell’s exit in 1993.
“I think it will be strange and unthinkable for the Nigerian government to reject our offer to resolve a problem that has lasted over 3 decades, has cost the government over $178Billion in oil revenue and has great potentials to boost the reputation of the government, the MOSOP President further said.
He noted that the NPDC and Sahara Energy who have been linked to funding small groups and inciting conflicts in Ogoni are no options for the Ogoni people in the course of resolving the problem insisting that projecting the NPDC and Sahara will suggest that the government does not desire peace to reign in the Ogoni region and in the Niger Delta at large.
Nsuke urged the Ogoni people to have faith in the efforts being made by MOSOP to resolve these very costly conflicts and assured that MOSOP is strongly committed to a peaceful resolution without the loss of lives.
He further commended the Ogoni people for sustaining the peaceful methods and urged them to resist every temptation of taking to violence emphasizing that the non-violent option has been one of our strongest weapons and we must sustain those ideals by keeping away from violence and resisting every temptation to take to violence.
