– Reiterate calls for exoneration of Ken Saro Wiwa
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People has accused the federal government of not being sincere with the execution of the hydrocarbon cleanup of Ogoniland as spelt out in the UNEP Report.
President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, pointedly said the people of Ogoni lacks confidence in the ongoing Ogoni clean-up project being carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP.
Nsuke in his message to mark the 30th anniversary of Ogoni Day, accused HYPREP of executing bogus contracts, and urged the agency to halt further contract awards pending the conclusion of the ongoing audit of the agency.
MOSOP also called for a more transparent environmental cleanup of Ogoniland with preference for the provision of clean water to the people, as well as urged the federal government to accept its proposals for the establishment of the Ogoni Development Authority.
He als called for a proper restructuring of the Nigerian federation to guarantee the rights of the Ogoni people to function within a Nigerian federation as Ogoni people.
“The Nigerian Government has not been sincere in its execution of the Ogoni environmental cleanup exercise. The entire exercise lacks transparency, and does not have any community-based representation as MOSOP has been inexplicably excluded from participation and monitoring of the agency’s activities.
“We regret to state that we have no confidence in the exercise as has been conducted so far.
While we have the impression that an audit of the exercise is ongoing, the cleanup agency, HYPREP, continues to execute bogus contracts. We therefore demand greater transparency in the work of HYPREP, a halt in further contract awards pending the conclusion of on-going audit.
“We demand that water provision be placed under emergency measures and be given priority as a life saving measure and an integrated water programme be implemented throughout Ogoni to address the water crises.”
MOSOP further urged the Ogoni people to exercise their rights in the forthcoming elections based on their informed judgement, as well as resist every inducement towards the use of violence before, during and after the elections and urge the youths to reject attempts to use them only as political thugs who get dumped after electoral victories.
Nsuke also called for a judicial review of the judgment of the Justice Ibrahim Auta’s tribunal which sentenced Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others to death on November 10, 1995, with a view to exonerate the nine because they were innocent.
“In the spirit of on-going reconciliation and our commitment to the cause of justice, we urge the Nigerian authorities to drop their pride, accept their mistakes in Ogoni and clear the nine men that were wrongly executed under the military regime of General Sanni Abacha on November 10, 1995 including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuien.”
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