Legborsi
Saro Pyagbara, MOSOP leader
The
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has reacted to
the news of the renewal of Shell"s mining rights in Ogoni saying
it comes as a shock and an insult on the collective dignity of the
Ogoni people.
Publicity
Secretary of MOSOP Fegalo Nsuke made the assertion today in Bori,
headquarters of Khana local government area where he addressed a
cross section of Ogoni women.
Nsuke
said Shell has prosecuted an ecological war against the Ogoni people
for over 50 years, sponsored Nigerian soldiers to abuse and trample
on the rights of the people, refused to clean-up the lands polluted
by the company's irresponsible business practices and therefore does
not deserve to return to Ogoniland for oil mining.
The
MOSOP spokesperson said the conduct of Shell in Ogoni is a shame and
urged the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his
government's intolerance for corporate irresponsibility by throwing
out Shell from Ogoni and getting the company to pay for the well
established abuses in Ogoniland.
Fegalo
Nsuke further said "the news of president Buharis approval of
Shell's mining lease for OML 11 smacks insensitivity to the Ogoni
predicament and confirms the intent of government to resume oil
production in the area without first cleaning previous mess and
addressing the issues raised by the Ogoni people including the demand
for political rights to self determination, the protection of the
Ogoni environment and other demands as contained in the Ogoni Bill of
Rights.
"It
is very disturbing that despite the danger faced by the Ogoni people
consequential of Shell's irresponsible business practices, the
Nigerian authorities will still approve a request by Shell to run the
Ogoni oilfields. Shell on the other hand should have been ashamed of
her conduct in Ogoniland and not request a renewal of its license for
the Ogoni area. In over 50 years of doing business in Ogoniland Shell
has killed the environment and the people and lacks the moral grounds
to return to Ogoniland" Nsuke said.
Nsuke
concluded that Nigeria has no option than to respect the rights of
the Ogoni people as demanded in the Ogoni Bill of Rights as they are
justifiable, they are in conformity with natural justice,
international law and conventions and are supported by the ideals of
the founding fathers of the Nigerian state.
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