Mosop marks silver jubilee anniversary amidst protests

The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), the umbrella body of the Ogoni people in Rivers state marked the silver jubilee anniversary of its struggle amidst peaceful protests against Shell’s planned return to the area for oil operations without the consent of the people.

Shortly before the event, members of the National Youths Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), the youth wing of MOSOP stormed the Birabi Memorial Grammar School field in Bori, venue of the ceremony protesting against the surreptitious return of oil giant Shell to the area through a third party without the approval of the people.

Some of the protesting youths carried placards condemning Shell and the federal government as well as calling for the resignation of MOSOP president for having compromised his position by accepting to serve on the board of the body given the responsibility of implementing the UNEP recommended clean up of Ogoni land.

NYCOP president who addressed newsmen condemned the federal government for granting Shell the license to resume oil operations on OML 11 through a third party company, RoboMichael without the consent of the people in line with the UNEP report.

However, before the youths protest in Bori in Rivers state, another set of Ogoni people had concluded their own protest in far away Abuja, the federal capital territory against the government action.

Our correspondent gathered that as early as 9am last Thursday more than 300 Ogoni youths and people under the auspices of Ken Saro Wiwa Associates had gathered at the NNPC Towers in Abuja protesting against Shell’s return to Ogoni land for oil operations suspended 25 years ago.

Leader of the Ken Saro Wiwa Associates, Chief Gani Toba told our correspondent on phone that they also organised the Abuja protest to mark the silver jubilee anniversary of the struggle.

At the Bori event, which kicked off shortly after the protesting youths have been pacified, the Minister of State for Environment, represented by Dr Marvin Dekio, Coordinator of HYPREP briefed Ogoni people on activities of the body, saying that the clean up exercise was in top gear and currently at the stage of gathering medical data for analysis in its Health Impact Studies (HIS) phase in line with the UNEP report. He solicited for the support of the people for the success of the exercise.

MOSOP President, Legborsi Pyagbara reaffirmed that no company has been given approval to resume oil operations by the Ogoni people, pointing out that resumption of oil activities in the area was a tripartite decision involving the federal government, the Ogoni people and the oil companies involved. “We have not given permission to any company to resume oil operations in Ogoni land,” he told Ogoni people.

He listed out the achievements of the struggle in the last 25 years, saying that MOSOP, the body set up by late Writer and Environmentalist, Ken Saro Wiwa to mobilize Ogoni people against the environmental degradation of their environment by oil giant Shell has been able to sensitize the entire Niger Delta region and the whole world to the unwholesome activities of international oil corporations as well as the environmental hazards posed by oil operations in the region.

He also posited that the UNEP recommended clean up of Ogoni land would serve as the template for the clean up of the entire Niger Delta which has been ravaged by the hydrocarbon activities in the area.

In his goodwill message at the occasion, Dr Peter Mede, President of KAGOTE, an acronym for Khana, Gokana, Tai and Elements, the four LGAs that make up Ogoni land debunked rumours that ten million Dollars clean up fund was missing. “No money is missing. Every kobo is being used for the exercise,” he stated.

Among dignitaries that graced the occasion included the acting British Ambassador to Nigeria and other Consul officials as well as Nnimmo Bassey of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation and other Human Rights Activists and Environmentalists.