Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, has said the Ogoni people are still in danger of state persecution and massive killings by the Nigerian authorities.
Fegalo Nsuke who is laying claim to the presidency of the organization made the assertion at the weekend when he received the national executives of an Ogoni youth organization, the Alisor Youth Movement of Ogoni, in his office at the National Secretariat of MOSOP in Bori, Ogoni.
Nsuke said the desperation of the Nigerian government and the Nigerian oil industry including SHELL, Robo Michael, Belema Oil, and others to force oil resumption in Ogoni against the wishes of the people posed great threat to the safety of the Ogoni people in Nigeria.
“I have received information from a staunch campaigner for forceful oil resumption boasting that 5,000 soldiers will be deployed to Ogoni to crush the people’s demand for justice, respect for human rights and to ensure that anybody opposed to oil resumption in Ogoni is killed” Nsuke told the youths.
Nsuke further said it is unfortunate that a simple demand for justice and respect for basic rights of the Ogoni people had been treated so cruelly occasioning massive killings and abuses.
He said the situation in Ogoni is pathetic and terribly worse than has been represented by a section of the media whom he accused of being fed by Shell Petroleum and the corrupt managers of the cleanup program, HYPREP.
He said MOSOP will soon brief the world on the pitiable conditions of the Ogoni people whose land is naturally blessed with abundant resources and has contributed over $200 billion from which Nigeria has gained its greatness.
The MOSOP leader said: “ It is sad that Ogoni’s enormous contributions to the Nigerian economy in excess of $200billion has been rewarded with deaths and state repression rather than respect for the people”.
While urging the Ogoni people to maintain the non-violent methods of agitation for their rights, Nsuke advised the Nigerian government to rethink its repressive approach to the Ogoni problem and accept dialogue rather than thinking that military repression will force the Ogoni people to surrender their rights and die.
The MOSOP leader maintained that in the present circumstance, the Ogoni people will not welcome any oil company in the area without a clear agreement on the future of the Ogoni people, an adequate cleanup of previous oil spills and a clear definition of standards to protect the Ogoni environment.
He said attempting to force oil resumption in Ogoni under the present circumstance will lead to massive killing of Ogoni people as there will surely be a resistance which the government will want to crush with military force and that should be avoided.
Earlier, speaking on behalf of the Alisor Youth Movement of Ogoni, Coordinator of the group Comr. Sunday Gbaranugbe had commended the president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, for his commitment to the Ogoni cause and pledged their continued solidarity.
Gbaranugbe said the Ogoni youth movement will continue to stand with MOSOP on the path of peace and justice until victory is won.
