Former President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Legborsi Pyagbara, has declared that oil production cannot resume in Ogoniland unless issues of political exclusion and marginalization of the Ogoni people are addressed.
Pyagbara made the declaration during a media parley with journalists in Port Harcourt, where he accused the political establishment in Rivers State of sidelining the Ogoni ethnic nationality from the state’s top political leadership despite its contribution to the economy of both Rivers State and Nigeria.
The environmental rights advocate and Executive Director of the African Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development said the Ogoni people could no longer tolerate a situation where their natural resources benefit others while they remain politically excluded.
“There cannot be any oil resumption in Ogoniland if the issue of Ogoni political interest is not addressed,” he stated.
“You cannot like our oil and refuse to like our political representation. You cannot talk about taking oil when you feel we cannot be politically included in the political space.”
Pyagbara insisted that the Ogoni people, regarded as one of the major ethnic nationalities in Rivers State, should not continue to occupy subordinate positions in the political structure of the state.
“We cannot be in Rivers State and remain servants in Rivers State. We cannot be a major ethnic group and remain political servants to others,” he said.
The former MOSOP leader also warned against what he described as the emergence of political domination by a single ethnic bloc in Rivers State, stressing that all ethnic nationalities must be treated as equal stakeholders in the affairs of the state.
“All ethnic persons in this state are equal citizens. We cannot build a hegemony of one ethnic community above the other, and one person cannot assume himself to be the political overlord of Rivers State. That is not acceptable,” he added.
Pyagbara maintained that the demand for political inclusion and equity had become non-negotiable for the Ogoni people, warning that any move to resume oil exploration without addressing those concerns would amount to continued injustice and oppression.
According to him, the Ogoni people were becoming increasingly politically conscious and would no longer allow themselves to be used merely as voting tools during elections.
He also cautioned politicians of Ogoni extraction against pursuing personal political ambitions at the expense of the collective interest of the ethnic nationality.
The activist further disclosed that he and other stakeholders would support any political platform willing to back the emergence of an Ogoni governor in Rivers State, irrespective of political party affiliation.
“If other political parties feel Ogoni cannot produce the governor, then we have no alternative than to throw our support behind whoever is willing to support that aspiration,” he said.
“I will use all that I have to provide support to that person, whether we win or lose. We must make a statement through that.”
