The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has reaffirmed its longstanding demands for justice and fair treatment for the Ogoni people, rejecting any attempts to redefine them.
The Forum of Kingdom Coordinators and Chapter Leaders of MOSOP also endorsed the establishment of the Ogoni Development Authority (ODA) and called for a percentage of profits from natural resources to be allocated to the Ogoni people. They described these measures as essential to achieving a lasting resolution to the Ogoni crisis and sustaining MOSOP’s peace-building efforts.
In a statement made available to The Guardian, Celestine Viura, Coordinator of MOSOP in Gokana Kingdom and spokesperson for the Forum, stressed that the proposals align with the Ogoni Bill of Rights and enjoy overwhelming support from the community.
“We represent the grassroots coordinators who have led the Ogoni struggle. Our fight has always been for human rights, dignity, and social and environmental justice for our people, and we remain committed to this cause,” Viura said.
He strongly criticised ongoing talks, led by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), regarding the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland, calling the discussions “dishonest” for excluding MOSOP leadership.
“The entire exercise is an attempt to mislead the public and create the false impression that the Ogoni people have not clearly stated their demands. MOSOP completely rejects this move by ONSA to misrepresent our struggle in order to validate a pre-written, self-serving report,” Viura added.
The Forum also called for an investigation into the controversial murder of four prominent Ogoni leaders—Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, Mr Albert Badey, and Chief Theophilus Orage—on 21 May 1994, to uncover the true causes of their deaths.
Viura further demanded the decriminalisation of the nine Ogoni activists executed under General Sani Abacha’s regime and condemned the use of state force against the Ogoni people. He rejected any forced resumption of oil extraction in the area, as well as “divide-and-rule” tactics aimed at weakening their movement.
“MOSOP is deeply pained that, nine years after the launch of the Ogoni cleanup project, there has been little progress. Instead of addressing the environmental devastation caused by over six decades of reckless pollution by Shell, the government is now attempting to pressure our people into accepting the forceful resumption of oil production,” he said.
The group urged the federal government to engage in genuine, transparent dialogue with MOSOP and commit to addressing the developmental concerns of the Ogoni people.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to halt all moves by the Office of the NSA that could trigger fresh crises in Ogoniland. Any attempt to forcefully resume oil production without addressing the critical demands of the people will be met with strong civil resistance, which could lead to unnecessary and avoidable unrest,” Viura warned.
