Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A coalition led by National Youth Council of Ogoni People, NYCOP, has hailed President Bola Tinubu over the planned resumption of oil exploration activities in Ogoniland, say that the move would end the long suffering of Ogoni people.
The coalition at a press conference held in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, said the commitment of President Tinubu during a visit of Ogoni delegation to him in Abuja, will provide lasting answer to the Ogoni un-answered questions.
Speaking, NYCOP President, Mr Barinuazor Emmanuel, said the socio-economic conditions of Ogoni people have significantly deteriorated as a result of systematic repression, marginalisation, neglect, and underdevelopment imposed upon communities by successive government administrations.
Emmanuel said the worse was the leadership gap created in Ogoni by the killing of their leaders, including the hanging of Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others by the General Sani Abacha’s military regime.
According to him, the briefing was imperative to review the situation of the Ogoni people within the Nigerian Federation, bearing in mind the current socio-economic, socio-political realities, the need to mobilise support and social license for economic rebirth in Ogoni.
“I am among the delegate that visited President Bola Tinubu at the Villa in Abuja. It was one of the best because it was pure natural, traditional visit. We didn’t go with politicians because they have in the past years disappointed us.
“The delegation was pure on Ogoni people’s over 30 years of request. Don’t allow these people to divide you. Mr President has assured us that our Oil will be operated by Ogoni people to ameliorate the age-long suffering of the people
“To put the records straight, Ogoni youths embraced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to ameliorate the age-long suffering of Ogoni people in our quest to provide lasting answer to the Ogoni un-answered questions.
NYCOP said the Ogoni Youths Stakeholders trust President Tinubu, his message and plans for Ogoni economic rebirth, stressing that the president has the comprehensive idea about the evolution of the Ogoni struggle as their supporter in the NADECO Pro-Democratic movement.
“We appeal to our Royal Fathers, Political Elites and leaders to close ranks and rise beyond sentiments and greed to unite and collectively confront socio-political and socio-economic realities facing Ogoni people.
Also speaking, an Ogoni activist, Chief Solomon Ndigbara, insisted that the Ogoni delegation to the Presidency was not for personal gain but to press home the Ogoni message of liberation, calling on the youths to remain calm.
“Let everybody be at peace, people have been going to the Villa without any message. We didn’t go there for money, we went there to talk about the struggle and we promise you that we will do things that politicians couldn’t do in Ogoniland,” he said.
On his part, a leader of Ex-Agitators in Niger Delta, Mr Nature Kieghe, advised Ogoni youths to unit for the success of the struggle. He also called on Ogoni leaders to accept the message of the traditional rulers that visited the president.
“We speak to our leaders to leave the people that went to the Villa and listen to the message and see if the message is the mind of the people. We have suffered so much and this is the time to benefit from our struggle,” he said.
