Metro

Outrage As Police Disrupt Ogoni Day Celebration

Ogoni people who assembled at the Birabi Memorial Grammer School (BMGS) Bori  on Monday, January 4, to celebrate Ogoni Day have described the disruption of the event by the police as a sacrilege.

Some  of them who spoke to journalists likened the Ogoni Day to Sunday which is globally revered within the Christendom, saying by disrupting it the police have desecrated a holy object.

Although the youths and women left the venue peacefully, they had warned while escorting the factional MOSOP president , Lazarus Tamana  round  Bori, the ancestral headquarter of the Ogoni people  that they would not tolerate such disruptions again.

At  a press briefing in Port Harcourt ,the MOSOP President Tamana said the DPO of Bori had called and told  him that the chairman of Khana Local Government said they should not allow the celebration because of the ravaging  COVID-19 Pandemic.

He however informed them  that his people had complied with all guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of the disease. He also informed journalists that he had earlier obtained police permit to hold the event and wondered  why the authorities would stop it midway.

Tamana further explained, during questions and answers session that his election as MOSOP President was valid having  been based on a valid court judgement  given by a High Court of Rivers State, Nchia Judicial Division which authorized the Electoral  Committee set up by the central committee of MOSOP  to conduct elections into the offices of its executive committee as the tenure of the former executive was coming to an end on 31st December ,2018.

In the judgement  paper  with Suit No.  PHC/161/2018 which   the MOSOP President displayed at the briefing which was between members of the committee of MOSOP as claimants and Mr Legborsi Saro Pyagbara -1st defendant, Mr Fegalo  Nsuke, Mr . Barinara  Kpalap- 2nd defendant ,the court had ruled that the  1st defendant  Mr  Legborsi Saro Pyagbara having served for two terms of [3] years each was not entitled to seek re-election  or elongation of his tenure as MOSOP President  based on the organization’s constitution.

The court suspended the 1st defendant from office as President as at November 3, 2018 and warned that any activities he embarked upon after that day were null and void.

The court equally ruled  that the purported rise as factional President by the 2nd and 3rd defendants was unconstitutional , void and of no effect and issued a perpetual  injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as presidents of MOSOP.

The court judgement which also awarded  #50,000 to the claimants was signed by Levi  T. Nsirim ESQ,  Assistant Chief Registrar, Nchia Judicial Division .

Other Prominent  Ogoni citizens who spoke at the press briefing authenticating the position of the  MOSOP President were: FR. Emmanuel Gokana, Chairman  Eleco of  MOSOP 2020/2021,  Chief Barinua  Nwikonee – COTRA  Chairman  MOSOP and  Chief  Hon. Mrs  Rose  Zoranen  Micheal,  President  Federation of Ogoni Women Association [FOWA].

 

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