President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, has called on the Ogoni people not to be distracted from the goal of a total liberation from the shackles of poverty inflicted by a few who are taking advantage of Nigeria’s weak and discriminatory laws to exploit the pains and deprivations of the people.
Nsuke was speaking on Sunday at a general meeting of grassroots coordinators of MOSOP in Eleme Kingdom of Ogoni. The meeting which overwhelmingly backed MOSOP’s proposed development programme expressed confidence in MOSOP’S proposed development plab as a feasible path to resolve the Ogoni problem.
The MOSOP president who was represented by the coordinator of MOSOP in Eleme Kingdom, Nwale Emereonwi, said the struggle for freedom should not be expected without a fight. He however noted that the people were determined to resist exploitation this time and to stand with MOSOP’s proposed development programme.
“If you do not face challenges, opposition, distractions, attacks, then you are doing nothing. But in the face of all the distractions, you must remain focused on your goals” he told the MOSOP gathering on Sunday.
Nsuke described the grassroots as the hope and future of the Ogoni struggle from internal and external exploitation and repression.
“You are the struggle and hope that we have to successfully mobilize and confront the extreme unemployment faced by our people especially the youths, to usher in a system that guarantees the future of our people, build infrastructure, develop our health care system and do more by operationalizing our proposed development plan and that is what you must remain focused on”
While assuring that the leadership of MOSOP was strongly committed to the cause, the MOSOP leader told the coordinators that the grassroots was extremely important for the struggle and should take responsibility for the survival of the Ogoni people.
He further stated that MOSOP’s current position and initiatives which spells out a set of actions that will lead to a resolution of all issues is a huge opportunity, a win-win for all parties and should be given a chance.
“Our development proposals are a win-win for all parties. It represents more revenue for the government, secures the future of our people with investments into job creation, infrastructural development, security and guarantees a steady flow of dedicated resources for Ogoni development. We are strongly committed to this process and will expect all parties to give it a chance.”
He also spoke on the need ro advance MOSOP’s development goals to the nooks and crannies of Ogoni.
“We have come a long way in our efforts to resolve the Ogoni problem and bring development to our people. You must all support and commit to the actualisation of these goals in the interest of all Ogoni” Nsuke said.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, has led a campaign against Shell and the Nigerian state over the denial of basic rights and amongst others called for a fair treatment in the distribution of the revenues derived from the extraction of natural resources in Ogoni.
The conflicts led to a brutal state repression which killed some 4,000 Ogonis. As a result, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell which operated in the are6 was forced to exit the Ogoni lands in 1993.
In an effort to resolve the conflicts, MOSOP has proposed a robust development plan to cater for the Ogoni people, build infrastructure, provide education and standard health care services, quality education, boost security and improve the overall quality of life for the Ogoni people while increasing revenues accruals to the government.
