The Movement For The Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, has expressed dismay over what it termed obvious omissions in the Democracy Day Speech delivered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
MOSOP in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar said the President failed to recognise the sacrifices of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogonis in the democratic struggle in Nigeria while recognizing that of Chief MKO Abiola.
“We thank Mr President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for addressing Nigerians on her 25th Democrat Day. However, it is very sad that Mr President did not recognized or made mention of the struggle of the Ogoni heroes led by Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others that laid down their lives for the rights of the indigenous people.
“We the Ogonis have been very much supportive and have contributed so much to the nation’s GDP so it’s unfortunate that Mr President recognized the struggle of MKO Abiola while failing to acknowledge that of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogonis who paid the supreme sacrifice for what we enjoy today as a nation.
“It is still a painful experience for the people of Ogoni that we lost a generation of industrious sons who contributed immensely to the development of Rivers State and Nigeria at large and today, Bola Ahmed Tinubu just like former President Mohammad Buhari has recognized Abiola and the incident that led to his election bid and death while ignoring Ken Saro-Wiwa and others. It is painful and very worrisome”.
MOSOP said the deliberate ignoring of these heroes in Mr President’s speech has dashed the hopes of Ogoni people who had hoped to get a cheering news from Mr President especially on the exoneration of Saro-Wiwa and eight others.
“We want to inform Mr President that this is a slap to Ogoni people who had expected that Mr President would have used the occasion of today to state his position on the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others by the Nigerian State and their exoneration”.
MOSOP also expressed dismay that Mr President did not make his position known on the ongoing Ogoni clean up exercise, advising that politicians shouldn’t see the exercise as an avenue to get political settlement.
“Also, we are not happy that Mr President did not take a position on how to improve on the ongoing Ogoni clean-up exercise. The exercise is an outcome of the Ogoni struggle and not as a result of government settlement so government and Ogoni politicians should not see the cleanup as another political settlement avenue.
“Politicians and persons claiming to have connections in the Presidency running around to be part of the clean up exercise when they have nothing to offer is condemnable.
MOSOP also used the medium to call on the President to be on the part of the Ogoni people if the expected resumption of oil exploration is to achieve any meaningful success.
“We also want to tell Mr President that the expected resumption of oil exploration and all oil multinationals coming to Ogoni such NNPCL, NPDC and others, that if he does not stand on the side of the people of Ogoni, that oil resumption will not succeed because the Ogoni oil has taken so many lives and for that reason we cannot talk about resumption of oil exploration without talking about how to compensate the families that lost their lives in the struggle. So if Mr President should address that issue on the side of the Ogoni people to a satisfactory conclusion because Ogonis must benefit from their struggle beyond political affiliation”.
MOSOP equally called in the President to take a stand on the missing $300bn belonging to Ogoni people.
“The $300bn belonging to the Ogoni people is missing till date and some persons have been accused including those working in his cabinet. We want Mr President to make his position clear on this matter”.
MOSOP also used the occasion to demand political inclusion of Ogoni people in the various levels of government in the Country.
“We the Ogonis are demanding for political fairness across board and that no Ogoniman has occupied any sensitive position in both Tinubu’s cabinet and here in Rivers State. We want that reversed.”
Sign:
Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar
Publicity Secretary, MOSOP.
June 12, 2024.