Okenyi Kenechi
The leadership crisis that has engulfed the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) took a new twist on Wednesday as the suspended president of the movement, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara said that the steering committee which issued a statement about his suspension had no such powers to suspend him.
Pyagbara made the above statement during a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt. He also urged the public to disregard any form of distraction from those who want to grab power.
This is as analysts say the development is not unconnected to the much anticipated clean up of the Ogoni environment by the federal government.
In a suspension notice signed by members of the MOSOP Steering Committee and leaders of the 6 kingdoms and 2 special areas including the deputy president, Fortune Okwa Chuor and the national publicity secretary Fegalo Nsuke cited unsatisfactory performance, gross abuse of office, financial misappropriation, lack of accountability and unacceptable personal conduct.
In a statement by Fegalo Nsuke, the Publicity Secretary of the group announced that the movement has suspended its president, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara from office.
Recall that on October 18, Fegalo Nsuke accused Legborsi Pyagbara of attempts to assassinate him.
The Ogoni activists’ forum subsequently asked Pyagbara to resign as a result of the assassination attempt.
According to the forum: “We are particularly appalled that the attack on Mr. Nsuke was planned by the current MOSOP President, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, and executed by a gang led by Bariledum Yaamene, with funding from Pyagbara, through the Financial Secretary of MOSOP, Chief Theophilus Dike, an indigene of Buan in Khana LGA.
“Confessional statement obtained from the gang leader, Bariledum Yaamene, clearly showed that Mr. Pyagbara called the gang leader and asked him to deal with Mr. Nsuke.
“Pyagbara’s recent conduct, including the plot to assassinate the Publicity Secretary of MOSOP and his blatant disregard for the constitution of MOSOP and failure to put in place the necessary processes for the conduct of elections, which are overdue, are unacceptable.
“We ask for the immediate resignation of Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, as he has sufficiently constituted himself into a security threat and also an embarrassment to the Ogoni nationality.”
However, Mr Pyagbara on October 19, denied claims that he planned to assassinate Nsuke, describing the assassination claim as false, ill-conceived, totally misleading, and should be discountenanced in its entirety.
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