…Warns Nwibani
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, has distanced itself from a recent publication by Mr Raymond Nwibani, factional President of National Youth Council of Ogoni People, NYCOP, wherein he called for the removal of the Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
MOSOP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar, said the statement is ill-conceived and intended to present Ogoniland in a bad light.
He said : “I want to call on Nigerians and the Honourable Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal to please ignore a statement coming from one Mr Raymond Nwibani, factional President of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People, NYCOP, calling for his removal that it is not emanating from us as the mouthpiece of the Ogonis in this struggle for survival of our ethnic nationality.
“We want to tell the Minister that Ogonis are very much happy with his disposition towards the cleanup of the Ogoni environment”.
He added: “We want to say that he has done what Ogonis expected of him. The last time he visited Ogoniland, we were very much happy with his position and the state of affairs of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, which he overseers, the improvement on other aspects of the project such as the livelihoods programmes which has benefitted lots of Ogoni youths and women and the Center of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, CEER, Ogoni Specialists Hospital amongst others.
” Even though we understand that there maybe challenges which may have been there before he took over as Minister, his visit to the Water Project sites in Ogoniland and other areas of interventions which are aimed at ensuring a successful clean up of Ogoniland is highly commendable”.
The statement insisted that: “Asking for the removal of the Minister is something that the Ogoni people cannot do at this point in time.
“We distance ourselves from that statement by Raymond Nwibani and we call on the Minister to ignore it. The message is not coming from us but enemies of Ogoni”.
MOSOP further thanked the Minister for standing by the Ogoni people during the battle for the reinstatement of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as Project Coordinator of HYPREP.
“We also want to thank the Minister for his proactive action towards the reinstatement of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, that alone shows his concern for the yearnings of the Ogoni people and we use this opportunity to appreciate him deeply for that.
“It would have been disastrous for the Ogoni people and HYPREP for the removal of a PC that’s actually working inline with the UNEP report and who has performed creditably well and we thank him.
“We want the Minister to understand that Ogoni people are appreciative of his concern,” the statement added.
The body further warned Mr. Nwibani to desist from further attempting to pitch Ogoni against persons who are supportive of the Ogoni cause and who are helping to make Ogoni a better place for all, threatening to carryout punitive actions against him.
“We use this medium to call on Mr Raymond Nwibani who recently has been misleading gullible youths of Ogoni and the general public to desist forthwith because as MOSOP, which is the apex body, we are no longer going to take it lightly with him.
“A this time when we just finished the commemoration of the 29th Anniversary of the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogonis and preparing for Ogoni Day on January 4, 2025, we do not want anybody to portray himself as an enemy amongst us and infiltrate the process”.
The statement further accused Mr Raymond Nwibani of working with multinationals in Ogoniland to truncate the pace of progress in Ogoniland.
“We suspect that Mr Raymond Nwibani is working with some oil companies in Ogoniland and they are trying to use him to cause distraction in Ogoniland and we are not going to allow that.
” As MOSOP and as the mouthpiece of the people, we are not going to keep quiet and allow such happen because we believe that his intentions are ill-conceived and intended to present Ogoni in a bad light. The Minister has stood by us when we needed him and as such we cannot support any call for his removal”.
It further thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Lawal as the Environment Minister.
“We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for bringing in such a hardworking Minister who is doing well in ensuring the core mandate of cleaning up Ogoniland is achieved” .
MOSOP noted that the Minister has made his office accessible to all Ogonis and also working on concerns from all Ogonis, recalling a recent reception given to the MOSOP leadership led by Professor Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu in office in Abuja.
The statement equality appreciated President Tinubu for his concern towards the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogonis which was contained in his message to the Ogoni people on the 29th anniversary of the commemoration of their death; saying: “We also use this medium to thank Mr President for his concern on the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others while also requesting that his comments should be given practical action”.
MOSOP further used the medium to appreciate the current leadership team of HYPREP from the Minister who is the Chairman of the Board, to Dr Mike Nwielaghi, Chairman of Ogoni Trust Fund, the Project Coordinator , Professor Neenibarini Zabbey and others who are working to ensure Ogoniland is cleaned and the people’s source of livelihoods are restored.
