Nigeria: Ogoni Bans Save Rivers State Movement

The President / Spokesman of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Dr. Goodluck Diigbo has appealed to the Save Rivers State Movement to stay away from Ogoniland until further notice; the outcome of an emergency joint Peace and Security Council Meeting held by the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA) and MOSOP.

Diigbo said that if the organizers ignore the joint decision by the JOINT OCIA and MOSOP Resolution, the Ogoni people should not welcome them or their sponsors.

He said the decision was prompted by the disturbances in Bori yesterday January 19, 2014, which OCIA and MOSOP hold “Save Rivers State Movement” responsible and want the movement banned for now.

The Council also decided that affected Ogoni people should submit documentation of their losses, casualties and other harms caused them.

In his remarks, Diigbo said: “While the organizers may have a good intention to help their own political career, given the fiasco at its first rally on the 12th of January at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science in Port Harcourt; it was clearly heartless, insensitive and offensive to rush to Ogoniland, as if to justify the negative impacts and costs of that first rally on Ogoni.”

“We, the people of Ogoni, are also at this time, trying to save our land, people and culture. We are not better placed to save Rivers State. Notably, Rivers State is one of Nigeria’s ill-thought political structures that had failed Ogoni. It has always been used as oppressive instrument to massacre and hang Ogoni leaders. Over time, Rivers State Government has greatly contributed to our economic exploitation, political marginalization, impoverishment, victimization and incarceration of thousands of innocent Ogoni youth, as well as the desecration of our ancestral heritage,” Diigbo maintained.

He warned Ogonis residing in Port Harcourt, who often use the name of MOSOP to inspire irresponsible politicians to look down and invade Ogoni people, “to pause, and carefully consider the potential consequences of their utterances, actions and miscalculation.”

“The Ogoni people, who recently lost their lands, family members and suffered incurable injuries and pains when they resisted plantain plantation are listening and watching. I will be shocked if the Ogoni people will give up self-government to save Rivers State”.

On the use of All Saints Cathedral, Diocese of Ogoni, Anglican Communion on Hospital road in Bori, he said that MOSOP once wrote to Abuja headquarters of the Church “to end continual use of its building in Bori as event-venue to counter Ogoni agenda, progress and freedom. Then, the Church was trying to save the MOSOP clique that has since returned to Port Harcourt.”

He said Anglican Church in Bori, local Ogoni politicians, Save Rivers State Movement and those claiming to be running another MOSOP from Port Harcourt are held responsible by the Ogoni people for the consequences of yesterday’s Save Rivers State Rally.

ENDS

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