…As Abe says Ogoni to feel impact of voting him, urges them to ensure peace prevails in Ogoniland
As the people mark 2017 Ogoni Day Celebration, governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections, Dr Dakuku Peterside says he identifies with and supports the Ogoni struggle because “it represents the struggle of all us.”
Dr Peterside, who spoke in Port Harcourt, called on Ogonis to unite and work with other ethnic groups to accelerate the aspirations and the accomplishment of the dream of the founding fathers of Ogoni struggle.
“We must enter a new phase of cross ethnic groups engagement, recognizing that it is a collective struggle of all oppressed people all over the world,” he stressed.
While saluting the resilience of the Ogonis over the years and their industry, he assured of his preparedness to back every genuine effort to make the people great.
Peterside, who is also the Director General of NIMASA, commended the Federal Government on the Ogoni clean-up but was quick to ask for an accelerated process and factor in human empowerment of the people whose farm land & streams have been destroyed.
The former Rivers Commissioner for Works said the environment is the greatest gift of Mother Nature and so must be preserved for the benefit of our generation and future generations .
He said the environment and economic prosperity are interwoven “so we must collectively work to protect the environment.”
The former National Assembly member commended the leadership of MOSOP for keeping the spirit of the struggle alive.
In the same vein, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District has assured Ogoni people that they would soon feel the impact of the mandate they gave him.
In a goodwill message to Ogoni people on the 2017 Ogoni day celebration signed by his Spokesperson Parry Saroh Benson, Abe said he was happy for the support Ogoni gave him and that he had commenced initiatives in realizing his campaign promises.
Senator said the Ogoni made him proud by their unflinching support and vote cast for him on the December 10 re-run election.
He stated that by their votes they had made a statement and drawn the respect of the entire Rivers people on their principled stand to go to the centre.
The former Secretary to Rivers State Government commended them for reposing confidence in him to deliver the dividends of democracy, adding that their decision will not go unrewarded.
Abe said there were people who took pleasure in instigating crisis in Ogoni communities in order to affect their unity and urged the Ogoni people to come together in unity to find lasting solution to the current wave of inter and intra communal crisis that has bedeviled the area.
He said to this end that plans were underway to end the bloodshed in Ogoni communities, pointing out that never would they allow external interference to come in between them and their fellow Ogoni brothers and sisters.
Abe enjoined them to ensure that peace prevailed in Ogoniland in order to create an enabling environment for the 1 billion dollar-clean-up-project.
He assured them of the political will of the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the UNEP report.
