“We Insist There Will Be No Resumption Of Oil Exploration In Ogoni Until Demands Are Met” – MOSOP

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Police and sister security agencies have clamped down on youths and other stakeholders protesting against Federal Government’s planned resumption of oil exploration activities in the restive Ogoniland, Rivers state.

The Source reports that oil exploration had been on hold in the oil rich Ogoni land for years now, following  disagreements which arose from oil spill and other environmental degradation issues.

The host communities within the Ogoni oil producing enclave have separately and collectively insisted on the institutionalization of a veritable environment cleaning framework before the commencement of oil exploration halted for nearly two decades.

They are also rooting for an arrangement that will seek to adequately  accommodate the interests of  Indigenous People in future oil exploration in the area.

But the Federal Government, a few days back, announced its plans to immediately resume oil exploration in Ogoni land.

While announcing  the planned resumption of  oil exploration  on the occasion of the conferment of posthumous awards on the  “Ogoni Four” allegedly murdered by some Ogoni activists during late Ken Saro Wiwa’s era of agitations against environmental degradation, President Tinubu expressed the optimism that the development will fast-track the economic recovery process of the country.

The Movement for Survival of Ogoni People MOSOP , expressed serious concern and shock over the violent disruption of the protest by aggrieved people of Ogoni land against Government’s planned resumption of oil exploration.

According to some eyewitness accounts, the protest match involving over 4000 people  drawn from several civil rights movements, who came together to voice their opposition to the planned resumption of oil exploration without first addressing the people’s concerns was disrupted by the police.

The protesters are among other things demanding the resolution of the long standing agitation for the clean-up of Ogoni, environmental justice transparency in the process, and respect for community rights.

The President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, while condemning the disruption of the peaceful protest, described the development as amounting to a gross violation of the people’s rights.

“The people should be free to express their discontent. That is the essence of a democratic system. To stop a peaceful protest in such a manner is unacceptable and undemocratic”, the MOSOP leader stated.

Nsuke accused the authorities at all levels of sideling the people in all discussions and arrangements for the resumption of oil exploration.

“We want proper dialogue that is transparent, and inclusive. We insist that there will be no resumption of oil exploration in Ogoni land until all basic demands are met. That is our position and that is the position of Ogoni people”, Nsuke noted.