14th April, 2020
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has blamed the current internal conflicts ravaging the Nigerian society on the poor handling of the Ogoni situation.
In his Easter message delivered yesterday in Bori, traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people, President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said Nigeria’s compromises to appease violent agitators in contrast to its repressive approach against the non-violent Ogoni struggle and demands for basic rights did not encourage peaceful methods.
“Government has rewarded and encouraged violent agitations in the country through different offers to violent groups thereby increasing tension, endangering the future of the country and discouraging peaceful methods such as adopted by the Ogoni people,” he said.
Nsuke charged Nigerian leaders to make the country a home for all by advancing the cause of justice in the land both for Nigerians and other nationals living in the country. He said the biggest challenge faced by the Nigerian state is the dominant unjust practices in government and social life.
He further said the case of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC, Nigeria’s subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell PLC) whose influence on the Nigerian state has allowed it violate citizen’s rights in the Ogoni area with impunity is very glaring. The MOSOP president said Shell must be held accountable for its crimes against the Ogoni people especially for aiding the murder of over 4,000 Ogonis between 1993 to date.
Also speaking on his recent illegal detention which involved huge bribes paid to the Nigeria Police, Nsuke said injustice has heightened uncertainties in the country and it is unfortunate that even the Police whose responsibility is to protect citizens have been turned into agents of repression.
The MOSOP president regretted that the only focus of government in Ogoni had been the resumption of oil production in the area without first committing itself to a peaceful resolution of the concerns raised by the people. This according to him was in violation of the people’s rights to peacefully inhabit their land and a strategy to prosecute the genocidal agenda initiated by Shell against the Ogoni people.
“The Nigerian government and Shell know that forceful oil resumption in Ogoni will be resisted by the people and in their usual response, what they will do is to draft in soldiers who kill the protestors. That should be avoided as we do not want any more deaths for oil in Ogoni” he said.
Nsuke called for a change from such a repressive approach and a move towards peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflicts.
The MOSOP president while urging the Ogoni people to continue to maintain their peaceful disposition in the face of the injustices, murders and unfair treatment warned that Nigeria may not overcome current internal conflicts if peaceful methods such as adopted by the Ogonis are not encouraged.
He called on the Nigerian authorities to accept the dialogue proposed by MOSOP for a peaceful settlement of all issues affecting the Ogoni and usher in a new era of development both for the Ogoni people and for the rest of Nigeria.