The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called on the Ogoni people to trust the on-going Ogoni dialogue process coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, noting that it is a fine opportunity to seek a permanent resolution of the Ogoni problem.
President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke who spoke in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people, on Saturday, said after 33 years of a costly resistance against the Nigerian oil industry, it was necessary to embrace the dialogue initiative of the government. He said the decision of the government to initiate a dialogue with the Ogoni people was a welcome departure from previous initiatives of the government which were essentially impositions.
Nsuke condemned attempts by people who benefit from the Ogoni crisis to truncate the work of the dialogue committee in order to sustain their sponsorship and patronages.
“There is an attempt by people who do not have life outside MOSOP to scuttle the work of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee. And we are saying that we’ve been in this for 33 years and the government has opened discussions with the Ogoni people at this moment through the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, and we are saying this is an opportunity, a fine opportunity to resolve this problem and therefore, MOSOP is cooperating with the process because we want an end to this problem. We want a solution; we want Ogoni to move forward towards development, proper development.”
“People who do not have life outside MOSOP are attempting to scuttle the dialogue process because they want to continue to exploit the pains of the Ogoni people to keep us in this because it feeds them and it feeds their families.”
“What we are saying and I am telling Ogoni people is that it’s time, something that began must also have an end.”
On the purported leadership crisis in MOSOP, Nsuke noted that a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled that the Wai-Ogosu’s election is nullified. He said nobody should be talking about Wai-Ogosu, noting that the leadership of MOSOP is intact and there is no crisis.
“I was properly elected at the MOSOP Secretariat on the 19th of December, 2018 and I remain president of MOSOP. The matter was taken to court and we are now in appeal. Until the court decides my case, or we constitute a proper Steering Committee for elections, I remain president of MOSOP and that is the fact about it.”
“Additionally, the Steering Committee of MOSOP has decided that until all legal issues are addressed and elections are conducted, the present executive of MOSOP will remain in office”
