Port Harcourt — Demands Compensation for Environmental Pollution
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has announced its readiness to negotiate a 20% stake in natural resource extraction within Ogoniland with the federal government.
This development follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's recent pledge to honor the Ogoni martyrs during the 29th anniversary of their death.
In a resolution passed during the MOSOP National Congress on Saturday in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, the group's leadership was tasked with initiating the negotiation process.
"Congress resolved that the leadership of MOSOP, led by Fegalo Nsuke, should negotiate 20% interest for the Ogoni people in natural resource extraction in Ogoni," the resolution stated.
The Congress also passed a vote of confidence in the current MOSOP leadership and demanded compensation for decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration. The group emphasized that such reparations are essential for restoring Ogoniland's air, water, and soil quality.
As part of its resolutions, MOSOP instructed its leadership to establish a crisis resolution committee to address communal conflicts and foster unity among Ogoni people.
Speaking on the Congress resolutions, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke stressed the need for peaceful negotiations to resume oil production in Ogoniland.
"Negotiated oil production in Ogoni is needed and acceptable at this time to foster peace and cordiality between all parties, including the Nigerian government, the oil industry, and the Ogoni people," Nsuke said.
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He urged Ogoni communities to embrace peace, emphasizing that resuming oil production would generate revenue critical for the region's development.
Nsuke highlighted that the Ogoni struggle began as a call for dialogue to address the region's deprivation and underdevelopment. He noted that these grievances were captured in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, which criticized the lack of basic infrastructure, such as electricity, schools, healthcare, roads, and jobs.
"Had the oil industry, through its Corporate Social Responsibility, sincerely addressed these social problems, we wouldn't be where we are today," Nsuke lamented.
Since his election in December 2018, Nsuke said MOSOP has pursued a sustainable solution to Ogoni's challenges without resorting to violence.
Nsuke disclosed that MOSOP's leadership has engaged in extensive consultations with Ogoni communities and developed a comprehensive plan to address the region's issues permanently.
"On September 27, 2020, the Central Committee of MOSOP approved a set of actions that, when undertaken, will permanently resolve the problem and trigger robust and comprehensive development in Ogoni," he stated.
Nsuke concluded by reaffirming MOSOP's commitment to peaceful dialogue and development, urging all Ogoni people to support the initiative.
