The Ogoni people resident in the United States of America met in Houston, Texas, over the weekend of November 5 to 7 under the auspices of The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP USA) to evaluate and deliberate on the political, environmental, and social issues affecting us as a people following which the well-attended conference unanimously resolved as follows:
1.That the members of MOSOP USA reaffirm her commitment to the peaceful and non-violent struggle of the Ogoni people championed under the under auspices of MOSOP USA for which Ken Saro-Wiwa, Dr. BarinemKiobel, John Kpuinen, Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and countless others sacrificed their precious lives. We vow to keep the struggle alive till our legitimate demands enshrined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBRs) are met.
2.That the MOSOP USA commends the present Federal Government of Nigeria for recognizing that the hangings of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 others on November 10, 1995, for alleged complicity in the death of four Ogoni leaders on May 21, 1994, was barbaric and inhuman. However, we need to categorically state that the President’s intention to pardon Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 others is uncalled for because their trial and conviction were flawed and their hangings unjust. The perceived sin of these innocent men drew the attention of the International Community and Nigerians to the deplorable living conditions of the Ogoni people and the devastation of our land caused by decades of reckless oil exploration and exploitation by Shell oil. We, therefore, call on President Mohammadu Buhari to exonerate these innocent men. Pardoning them for crimes they never committed is morally and legally wrong. We urge the President to take a clue from the Abdulsalami Abubakar regime that declared former President Olusegun Obasanjo innocent after being unjustly convicted of coup plotting in 1995 by the Abacha regime. More importantly, the exoneration of these patriots must be followed by an apology to the Ogoni people, compensation to all the affected families, and national recognition of the roles of our martyrs in the political development of Nigeria.
3.That the Ogonis are not against oil exploration, but such activities will only take place after the clean-up has been done to an appreciable level where there are guarantees based on scientific evidence that any resumption of oil drilling will not endanger the lives of our people and the environment. And that the UNEP, who investigated the environmental damage inflicted on Ogoni by the multinational oil companies, must certify Ogoni as being fit for resumption of oil exploration. The process leading up to such resumption of oil operations in our land will not only be transparent; still, it will guarantee maximum participation by Ogonis, who have the wherewithal to engage in such activities. Ogonis cannot be bystanders while our God-given oil wealth is carted away to develop other areas, and we remain in abject poverty and misery. Any further drilling of oil in Ogoni must be in accordance with the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) provisions, which categorically calls for the development and use of Ogoni oil resources for Ogoni development. The position of the OBR also correlates with the goal of the Nigerian Local Content Act.
4.The selection of any group of representatives to dialogue with the Nigerian Government on the so-called resumption of oil drilling in Ogoniland will only occur when the Government has demonstrated that she is fully committed to sincerely resolving the impasse with the Ogoni people. Such a team must reflect the various demographics of Ogoni, which includes politicians, traditional rulers, the elites, the youth, women, and those in the Diaspora, etc. The era where a few elites will sit down in the luxury of their homes, hotels, or government offices and negotiate the fate of our people without any due consultation is over. Any resolution of oil drilling in Ogoni must involve and take into cognizance the interests of all stakeholders and not a few gullible elites.
5.That while we commend the present Federal Government of Nigeria for the steps taken so far to implement the UNEP Report in Ogoni, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP USA) condemn in unmistakable terms the continued marginalization of our people through the imposition of a Shell staff, Prof. Phillip D. Shekwolo as the Acting Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP). To foist a Shell agent as HYPREP Acting Project Coordinator and the surreptitious moves by him to be confirmed as the permanent Project Coordinator of an agency directly in charge of cleaning up the mess left behind in Ogoni by Shell is a direct assault on the Ogoni people. It also negates a core demand of the Ogoni people enshrined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR), which calls for “adequate representation as of right in all Nigerian national institutions.” It further contradicts the provisions of the Gazette establishing the HYPREP. We, therefore, call for the immediate and unconditional dismissal of Prof. Phillip D. Shekwolo from the HYPREP and the appointment of a competent Ogoni professional to serve in this vital capacity. Furthermore, we insist that if this ongoing blatant marginalization of our people is not stopped immediately, we shall mobilize Ogonis at home and abroad to embark on peaceful protest matches against the Nigerian Government.
6.We call on the Nigerian Government to prevail on the authorities of Shell, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), and any other government departments that are responsible to oil facilities to immediately decommission all Shell’s obsolete oil facilities littered in Ogoniland as the oil leakages from these decades-old and abandoned facilities have resulted in the re-pollution that has been discovered in recent times in Ogoniland. Furthermore, the logistics of such a process should be discussed with the Ogoni people so that it can not be used as a guise to lay new pipes and equipment for the resumption of oil drilling in Ogoni, as such dangerous moves will surely be resisted non-violently.
7.That MOSOP USA commends the Federal Government of Nigeria for the interest to repair the Ogoni section of the East-West Road, which is in a state of total disrepair. We appeal to the President to take steps to expedite work on this road because the death toll from daily accidents and the hardship it is inflicting on the pedestrians and motorists that ply this road cannot be overemphasized.
8.That the Ogoni people in the United States welcome the willingness of President Mohammadu Buhari to sign the bill establishing the Federal University of Environment in Saakpewaa, Ogoni. We, therefore, implore the President to use his good offices to prevail on the leadership of the National Assembly to transmit a copy of the final bill to his office for immediate assent.
9.That the Ogoni people resident in America condemn in the strongest terms, the senseless killings in Ogoniland all in the name of cultism. We, therefore, call on the Federal and State governments to deploy more anti-cultism police units to several strategic areas of Ogoni. We also call for the establishment of an independent judicial commission of inquiry to investigate all recent cult-related activities and killings in Ogoni and bring the perpetrators to book in accordance with the law and/or recognized international provisions.
10.The members of MOSOP USA congratulate the newly elected members of its National Executive Council led by Mr. Augustine Kpuinen and others. We pledge our unflinching support to the newly elected officers and charge them to discharge their duties fearlessly.
11.That MOSOP USA condemns in unmistakable terms the factionalization of MOSOP Nigeria. We call on the feuding factions to sheathe their swords, embrace peace and work together as one for the interest of Ogoni. In furtherance, we call for the immediate dissolution of all factions and subsequent conduct of a general election before the end of 2021. We pledge to work with any administration that emerges out of such a transparent electoral process and vow to cripple any opposition that our internal and external detractors may sponsor to plunge us into crisis further so that they can continue to prey on Ogoni.
12.That the members of MOSOP USA mourn the tragic and untimely death of Comrade Komene Famaa. His demise is a monumental loss to his family and the entire Ogoni people. We, therefore, urge Ogoni people, especially MOSOP activists, to come out en masse and bid him farewell whenever the family schedules his funeral.
Long Live Ogoni People! Long Live MOSOP!! Long Live Ogoni Struggle!!!
Signed:
Elder Augustine Kpuinen
(President, MOSOP USA)
Pastor LedibaBari Yorka
(Former Chairman, MOSOP USA CTC)
