By Mark Lenu
The newly elected president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Prof. Olu Andah Wai Ogosu has unveiled his vision, saying that he came to unify the Ogoni people and also bring development to the area.
In an interview with our correspondent, Prof. Ogosu maintained that the process that led to his emergence as MOSOP President was duly democratic, adding that both Ogonis at home and in the Diaspora have congratulated him.
He said: “In 2021, MOSOP Congress was held at the Peace and Freedom Centre, Bori where everyone or group who claimed to hold the president of MOSOP was dissolved. This development led to the setting up of an electoral committee saddled with the responsibility of conducting fresh elections.
“I obtained the form for the president of MOSOP. I was duly screened and the election was conducted I emerged the president in March 2024 and I was congratulated by the Ogonis in the Diaspora because the election process was purely democratic.
“I know what MOSOP stands for and I contested for MOSOP president because of my passion to unify my fellow Ogonis because there is so much division in Ogoniland.
“I got involved in MOSOP leadership because I have the environmental expertise to solve the environmental injustice that is in Ogoniland. We as Ogonis are not opposed to oil resumption but certain conditions must be met first.
“With the population of the Ogonis in the Diaspora, we can harrness it to form the Ogoni Diaspora Commission and use it to bring development to Ogoni.
“We all know that Ogonis lost a lot of opportunities due to the military junta clampdown of late Gen Sani Abacha. MOSOP can generate projects and even lead to an agricultural revolution using our massive land. So, there is enough MOSOP can do to spark up economic productivity.
“I see myself as a unifier and honestly that is who I am. We have gone round the whole kingdoms in Ogoni on peacebuilding because we can not develop Ogoni if we don’t breach the gap of division amongst us.”
