…No Oil Exploration Until Our Martyrs Are Exonerated – MOSOP
…As Gani Topba Lauds Wike Administration
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, has vowed that it would not allow oil exploration to resume in Ogoniland until the Federal Government exonerates Late Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni sons of crime pressed against them.
MOSOP also demanded a stop on the construction of a Federal Prison and Cemetery in Ogoniland, noting that the projects were targeted at denigrating the area.
The body which made these calls during a media briefing on the 25th Memorial of Ogoni Martyrs by its Coordinating Committee in Port Harcourt, urged FG to speed up the clean-up of the devastated Ogoni environmental.
Speaking, Dr. Gbeneme Kpae, the leader of the Coordinating Committee for the 25 Remembrance of the nine Ogoni sons, noted that oil exploration would only be allowed in the area if Wiwa and others were cleared of the criminal charge against them.
He accused FG of not consulting the Ogoni people before siting the two projects in the area, cemetery and prison, stressing that the natives need justice and industries.
Kpae said: “We call on the Federal Government to stop the construction of a Federal Government Prison and Cemetery in Ogoni as we have been informed that the prison is to lock up Ogonis who demand justice; and cemetery is for mass graves for Ogonis who oppose resumption of oil drilling in Ogoni.
“The Ogonis wish to remind all Nigerians and the international community that we will continue to oppose oil exploration and exploitation in Ogoni until Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists are exonerated, and the clean-up of Ogoniland is completed as recommended by the United Nations.
“Twenty-five years after the execution of our hero’s, the Ogoni people want to breathe fresh air now. What Ogoni people want is justice, fairness and equity”, MOSOP insisted.
A member of the committee, Mr. Celestine Akpobari, alleged that Federal Government has a sinister motive for siting prison and cemetery in the area.
Akpobari stated that Ogoni people are in dire need of siting developmental projects to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths to curb restiveness.
Meanwhile, popular Ogoni activist, Chief Gani Topba has given a pass mark to theadministration of Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for giving political appointments to Ogoni sons and daughters which according to him were some of the demands contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.
Topba who gave the commendation when he featured on Viewpoint, a live radio programme in Port Harcourt on Saturday, said: “This is the second bit of Governor Wike’s administration. If you checked his first bit, Ogoni had Secretary to State Government and other good appointments; and if you check this bit too, they are occupying plum positions”.
The Ogoni activist however restated his call on the international community to prevail on the federal government of Nigeria to exonerate the names of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogonis from the criminal charges that led to their execution on November 10, 1995.
