MOSOP insists on creation of Bori State

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People has renewed its call on the Federal Government for the creation of Bori State.

The Chairman, MOSOP Provisional Council, Professor Ben Naanem, who made this call during the 20th Ogoni Day celebration in Bori, said the creation of Bori State was crucial to the people.

Naanen urged the government to do the right thing for Ogoniland, adding that regarding the non-implementation of UNEP report, the people of the area should not be forced to take its case to the international community.

Lamenting the state of affairs in Ogoni, which he described as not conducive for peace and social harmony, Naanen decried the level of poverty in Ogoniland and the lack action from government to change the situation.

The MOSOP leader said, “The government on its part should do what is right for the Ogoni people. The creation of Bori State is crucial to the people.

“Ogoni should not be shoved into a situation where it will once again be forced to take its case to the international community, this time, for the non-implementation of the UNEP report and for lack of action on the abysmal poverty in the area.

“Such level of poverty degrades human life. It is not conducive to peace and social harmony. A special dispensation has to be established for the socio-economic development of Ogoni as recommended by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Fact Finding Mission to Nigeria and by the UN Special Rapporteur on Nigeria in 1997.”

Recalling how Ogoni leaders died in the course of the struggle, Naanen described January 4 of every year as an appropriate occasion to reflect on the essence of their (slain Ogoni leaders) sacrifice.

He observed that the dynamics of the Niger Delta struggle had changed within the past few years and maintained that Ogoni had lost out in the distribution of the benefits of the Niger Delta struggle, which it (Ogoni) pioneered.

Source: The Punge