The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has explained why it decided to boycott the reception organised by “government-paid chiefs and politicians in Ogoni” to honour the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
Wike was honoured by Ogoni leaders on Saturday.
The apex-Ogoni socio-political group said the decision boycott the event was based on the ignoble role the Rivers State Government played in the repression and eventual murder of 9 civil rights campaigners including Ken Saro-Wiwa on November 10, 1995.
The President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, said: “In protest against the role the Rivers State Government played in the hanging of 9 Ogoni civil rights campaigners including Ken Saro-Wiwa on Nov. 10, 1995. We won’t be part of the reception organized by some politicians and government paid chiefs in honour of Governor N. Wike”
Speaking further, Nsuke said politicians and Wike’s party faithful can do their thing but MOSOP is not part of the honour for Wike.
According to the MOSOP President, while the movement does not have any issues with such political party events, “our boycott is to register MOSOP’s displeasure over the role the Rivers State government played during the Ogoni repression culminating in the hanging of 9 Ogoni civil rights actors on November 10, 1995”.
Nsuke also said MOSOP is also protesting the continual pollution of Ogoni especially the unabated air pollution and the killing of Ogoni residents in communities bordering Okrika and Oyigbo.
“MOSOP is seriously concerned about the air quality and prevalence of soot which have had very dangerous implications on human health”.
According to Nsuke, “We can understand the predicament of political party faithful as we draw closer to the next general elections and the desperation of government-paid chiefs whose promotion lies strictly on their loyalty to their paymasters, however, we can’t pretend about the failure of the government to address air pollution in Ogoni and in the state at large as well as government inaction over the continual killing on Oogoni people residing in communities bordering Oyigbo and Okrika.
“Our people are being murdered daily in communities bordering Okrika and Oyigbo while the government does nothing to protect the citizens. That is not something to celebrate and we wish to express our displeasure by boycotting the said reception for the governor” Nsuke said today.
“We are also very concerned about the failure of the Rivers State government to keep its campaign promises to the Ogoni people and the obvious relegation of the Ogoni people in the hierarchy of government in the state.
“MOSOP does not consider it worthy to celebrate the government while the Ogoni people languish in abject poverty, live in a heavily polluted environment without water, electricity, schools, infrastructure, very poor health care facilities and grapple daily with security challenges.
“Our protest today is to draw the attention of the government to the pathetic and precarious conditions of the Ogoni people who live in a naturally endowed land yet suffer the most deprivations in Nigeria”.
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