Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The people of Ogoni under the aegis of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, have called for the creation of Bori State as the primary demand for the negotiation of oil resumption in Ogoniland.
This was the resolution reached at its 2019 general congress held at the MOSOP secretariat in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoniland, at the weekend.
President of MOSOP, Mr. Fegalo Nsuke, who read the resolutions of the congress, said oil exploration in Ogoniland will only commence when it is properly negotiated.
Nsuke also described as poor, the ongoing clean-up of Ogoniland by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, and demanded the remediation of the Ogoni environment in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP.
He also decried the disturbing and alarming rate of insecurity in Ogoniland and called on all parties to sheath their swords and allow the intervention of MOSOP to resolve all disputes within and between Ogoni communities.
According to the communique, “Congress expressed dismay attempts by the Federal Governments to force oil production in Ogoniland without the consent of the Ogoni people. Congress resolved that oil production in Ogoni will only commence when it is properly negotiated..
“Congress demanded the creation of Bori State as a primary demand for the negotiation of oil resumption in Ogoniland.
“Congress condemned the poor implementation of the Ogoni cleanup exercise and demanded the immediate commencement of the recommended emergency measures.
“Congress demanded immediate action for the provision of water, the conduct of comprehensive health audit on Ogoni people, the establishment of an Integrated Soil Management Center and the setting up of Center of Excellence.”