Buhari

Jethro Ibileke

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescind the move to forcefully resume oil production in Ogoniland against the wishes of the people.

MOSOP made this known in a statement signed by Fegalo Nsuke and Monday Neeka Ziinu, President and General Secretary respectively, after an engagement with youth coordinators of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), led by its President, Theophilus Mbaga Esq, at its International Headquarters in Bori, Ogoniland.

It noted that the Ogoni struggle for justice in Nigeria has consumed over 4,000 lives and currently endangers the lives of over 1 million people, owing to Shell and Nigeria’s unjust practices and unfair laws that oppress indigenous communities like the Ogoni people.

It warned that any attempt to resume oil production in Ogoniland without addressing the critical issues of injustice and community benefits will result in civil unrest and jeopardize the safety of local people who will certainly resist the move.

“It be grossly inhuman to further traumatize the people through force of military repression even in situations where the people have expressed their commitment to peaceful engagement to resolve all contentious issues as is the case with the Ogoni people.

“If the Nigerian government is not deliberately planning to exterminate the Ogoni people and kill innocent citizens who are only calling for justice in their own country, it should caution the NPDC and direct the withdrawal of soldiers from Ogoniland, halt further plans to forcefully resume oil drilling in Ogoni against the peoples consent,” he said.

The group urged President Buhari to protect the lives of the Ogoni people by ensuring that oil resumption in Ogoni would only commence after a broad-based engagement with the people.

“We want to believe that our President, Muhamadu Buhari, is still for nobody and for everybody and if that is still true, we urge him to listen to the concerns of the Ogoni people not to force oil resumption in Ogoni against our will,” the statement said.