Exoneration of Saro-Wiwa, others will end Ogoni conflicts, MOSOP insists

Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the process of resolving the Ogoni crises by exonerating Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists executed on November 10, 1995.

The President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, explained: “This has become imperative ahead of the 27th memorial of the murder of nine civil rights activists and accepting the proposal for the operation of Ogoni Development Authority (ODA).

Nsuke, who gave the names of those executed as John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Saturday Doobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levura, Felix Nuate and Barinem Kiobel, said the seriousness accorded to the demands would determine the resumption of peaceful oil exploration in Ogoniland.

He declared: “MOSOP is firmly committed to the resolution of the conflicts over oil and basic rights in Ogoni by setting fundamental demands for justice to prevail. The Federal Government’s response to them will determine how much progress can be made on the issue.”

The group said the people would resist any attempt to shortchange their common interest, as the indigenes’ blood and sacrifices edged out Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

It urged the government to begin the process of clearing the names of the nine activists “wrongfully executed.”He added: “We are committed to resolving the conflicts and ending the impasse. But responses will tell us how truly progressive the government’s commitment is.

“Over 4,000 people killed in state-backed repression, including Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others murdered in their innocence by the Nigerian government. Despite all these, we have gone further to propose a solution that is mutually beneficial to all parties.”