Mkpoikana Udoma 06 July 2016, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The National Youth Council of the Ogoni People, NYCOP, has accused the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, of trying to create division amongst Ogoni people.
The group, which is the youth wing of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, criticised moves by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, subsidiary company to commence oil production in Ogoniland.
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, President of NYCOP, Dr. Young Nkpah, called on the Federal Government and “well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on NPDC to stop forthwith its attempts to cause trouble in Ogoniland”.
“The activities of NPDC in Ogoni is aimed at creating division that would occasion avoidable crisis in the region.
“When we are talking about revival of our hydrocarbon-polluted environment, they are canvassing for commencement of oil production now in Ogoni, a matter that had caused the death of a generation of the Ogoni leadership including sung and unsung Ogoni citizens.
“If this is not the case, how would one explain the situation where the Federal Government has flagged-off implementation of the Ogoni environmental rejuvenation exercise and the corporation (NNPC) is on the other hand luring gullible Ogonis to sanction its intent of resuming oil production in Ogoni now?” Nkpah said.
The NYCOP president also warned “NPDC and her Ogoni collaborators to stay away from the communities”, expressing disappointment at the level of involvement of local politicians belonging to one of the dominant political parties in the area in the schemings.
“We are concerned that these politicians have always ganged up against the collective interest of our people. Evidence abound that these political actors and their cronies have openly denounced and fought against the legitimate, just and credible struggle for justice of the Ogoni people but would now want to reap from where they did not sow or what they hate,” he lamented.