The Forum of Chapter Leaders of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has criticized the President of the Movement, Comrade Legborsi Pyagbara, for the use of “inappropriate” and “disdainful” language in his reaction to their peaceful protest of Thursday, October 4, 2018, to express their disappointment in his (Pyagbara’s) leadership, where they also called for elections to be conducted before the end of the current leadership in December this year.
The group, in a press statement signed by the various MOSOP chapter leaders (Chief Yae-ere Christopher (Nyo Khana Kingdom); Comr. Ke-eeh Barinordum (Nyo Khana Kingdom); Chief Engr. Friday S. Eebee (Tai Kingdom); Chief Ignatius N. Ngiah (Tai Kingdom); Rev. K. Mene (Ken-Khana Kingdom); Dr. Suanu F. Wiisalee (Ken-Khana Kingdom); Chief F. Bemah (Gokana kingdom); Comr. B.M. Bakor (Gokana kingdom); Hon. Zorbari Abue (Babe Kingdom); Rev. Gobari T. Zimbe (Babe Kingdom); Mr. John K. Oboba (Eleme Kingdom) and Engr. Prince S. Ngofa (Eleme Kingdom) alleged that the MOSOP President, Mr. Pyagbara, had described them as “miscreants sponsored to foment trouble in Ogoniland” in his comments on their action aired on a radio station in Port-Harcourt.
The group said: “We wish to state that although Pyagbara’s insults change nothing about our status in MOSOP and will not alter our commitment to the struggle of the Ogoni people for justice. We consider Pyagbara’s attack on us by the use of such derogatory language, ‘miscreants’, as very inappropriate and disdainful”.
They alleged that the MOSOP President used thugs to disrupt their meeting at the MOSOP Peace and Freedom Centre in Bori on Sunday, 7th October, 2018, adding that the thugs beat up some of their members and collected thirteen mobile phones from them and cash, amounting to about seventy-five thousand naira (N75, 000).
They said that they are disappointed that a President of MOSOP could use language so “recklessly” and would send thugs to disrupt their meeting because they called for elections to be conducted to usher in a new MOSOP leadership.
The Forum of Chapter Leaders of the MOSOP said: “For the records, we want to make clear that we are the chapter leaders of MOSOP and we took to the streets to peacefully protest against Pyagbara’s disposition not to conduct elections in MOSOP as his tenure comes to an end in December 2018 and to reject the plan to extend his tenure, by whatever means, beyond December 2018, as provided for under the MOSOP Constitution. We note that as a people, we have made enormous sacrifices to sustain the Ogoni struggle and as a group, we remain committed to the ideals of MOSOP”.
The MOSOP chapter leaders said that their protest on October 4, 2018, represented the wishes of the people in Ogoniland, explaining that the Ogoni people have spoken and that the group would stand by its words.
