By Bon Peters, Port Harcourt
In a significant move towards peace and development, the Ogoni people have adopted a new orientation aimed at resolving over three decades of conflicts with the Nigerian government and Shell over oil production and underdevelopment. This development follows resolutions made at an Ogoni congress held on Saturday, November 30, 2024, under the aegis of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).
During the congress, attendees participated in speeches and interactive sessions, resolving to support the MOSOP leadership in achieving these goals. President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, emphasized the need to address the Ogoni problem permanently, highlighting the community’s long-standing struggle against both internal and external repression. Nsuke expressed regret over the community’s inability to tackle underdevelopment since the struggle began 34 years ago.
“We launched the struggle in 1990. We are thirty-four years into it, and the problem was that we were protesting underdevelopment. For thirty-four years, we have been unable to address this problem,” Nsuke stated. He also voiced concern over the proliferation of splinter groups, attributing it to the commercialization of the struggle.
Nsuke urged the Ogoni people to commit to resolving their issues permanently, noting that President Bola Tinubu offers a rare opportunity to address the Ogoni problems due to his listening nature. “While I am not speaking for the government, I want you to know that the current president is a listening president and offers an opportunity to resolve the problem. Let us take advantage,” he said.
The congress saw contributions from various leaders, including Chief Dr. Fortune Okwa Chujor, who urged support for Nsuke’s development initiatives, describing him as a non-commercial and non-political leader. Chief Emmanuel Nkala, a former president of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) and an elder of MOSOP, called for unity among Ogonis and encouraged the community to support the MSP development initiative.
Ogoni youth president, Theophilus Mbagha Esq., urged the Nigerian authorities to engage in dialogue with the Ogoni people to resolve their issues and expressed support for Nsuke’s initiative. Lady Immaculate Kpopie, spokesperson for the Federation of Ogoni Women’s Association (FOWA), assured the congress of Ogoni women’s support for Nsuke’s development drive.
The congress concluded with several key resolutions:
- A vote of confidence was passed on the leadership of MOSOP led by Fegalo Nsuke, with the Ogoni people expressing their willingness to work with that leadership.
- The leadership of MOSOP was mandated to negotiate a 20 percent interest for the Ogoni people in natural resource extraction in Ogoni.
- Compensation was demanded for livelihood losses due to decades of oil pollution.
- A resolution committee was to be set up to bring together all voices, including dissenting ones.
- A conflict resolution committee was to be established to address inter and intra-communal conflicts in Ogoni.
These resolutions mark a significant step towards addressing the longstanding issues faced by the Ogoni people and highlight the community’s commitment to peace and development.
