Former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee and 21 other Ogoni stakeholders have moved to resolve the lingering crisis rocking the organisation.
This followed concern over the leadership crisis that culminated in failure to host this year’s Ogoni Day, being the first that would happen since 1993 and its corresponding impact on the Ogoni cleanup.
In a statement signed by Mitee and 21 other activists, supporters and elders, MOSOP advised the government not to recognise any faction of MOSOP, while reconciliation process commences in an attempt to reorganise the body.
The statement disclosed that they would initiate a process that would lead to an election that would produce credible MOSOP leadership.
It also urged parties in the crisis and their supporters to embrace peace, dialogue, discontinue all pending court cases and desist from further press statements capable of further tarnishing the image of MOSOP and the Ogoni people.
Also, former Assistant Secretary of the United States chapter of MOSOP, Moses Taaboo said the leadership tussle rocking the organisation could be resolved through conflict resolution.
Taaboo stated that MOSOP needed to accept that every association experiences crisis at one time or another, but such crisis should be resolved internally saying Ogoni leaders should engage all factions to move the group forward.
They explained that the move to restore peace became necessary so that the sacrifices of the founding fathers do not end up in vain.
“MOSOP was our response to the repressive activities of the Nigerian government and its collaborators like Shell, which almost drove Ogoni into extinction. Our activities earned us global recognition, as we dared successive repressive regimes and in spite of grave sacrifices, we remained resolute.
“Our successes were possible because we were united in our struggle for justice, which made our fight a metaphor for the agitations for justice not only in the Niger Delta region but also globally,” the statement reads.
It noted that it was against this background that the MOSOP activists, supporters and concerned elders observed with dismay the leadership crisis that had threatened MOSOP’s survival if not checked.
“We have in recent past been content with working on the background to see how the crisis could be resolved through silent diplomacy. Regrettably, such interventions have not yielded the desired results, as the crisis threatens the soul of the organisation,” it added.
They, however, appealed to all Ogoni people at home and abroad to exercise patience, while the process of reorganising and moving the group forward was ongoing.
