Brave Dickson
As the people of the Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State join their kinsmen in the diapora to commemorate this year’s Ogoni Day, MOSOP has cancelled its usual public outing due to security threats.
Every January 4 is set aside to mark the Ogoni Day
The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Fegalo Nsuke who made this known to our correspondent said he had received several security advice not to stage public outing on behalf of MOSOP due to the tensed security atmosphere.
He said rather than losing lives during Ogoni Day which his opponents will in turn use in accusing him, it is better for all MOSOP usual public outings to be cancelled.
His words: “Today, we have called off traditional public outings to mark the 2023 Ogoni Day due to obvious security threats and the failure of the Nigerian state to provide security for our people.
“Indeed, we deeply regret the political hijack of our well known peaceful celebration in an attempt to convert the event into a political campaign ground.
“In 2020, I was brutalized by security agents and detained for two days before the Ogoni day.
“In 2021, we came under direct attack from the Nigerian security forces that went as far as shooting at us on this very day.
“In 2022, we were silenced by the ruling political party in our state who converted our day into a political rally.
“Our secretariat has recently come under attacks from the local government council.
“We have had political tugs attached to the local government council attacking our people with machetes and inflict heavy injuries on our youths.
“Our decision to declare a low key celebration today is therefore to subvert any plans to violently attack innocent people and unleash the repressive instruments of terror on our people and thereafter turn accusations at us like they did to Ken Saro-Wiwa.
“It is not the first time we will be taking this action to protect our people. In 1994, 1995 and 1996, MOSOP called off public celebrations to protect our people from the repression of the state.
“Our decision is not a sign of weakness but part of our resolution to protect our people and maintain our commitment to non violence.
“It is a sacrifice for peace and to frustrate the incriminating plans of oppressors. We will however take necessary legal actions including seeking legal remedies to break free from this repression.”
