Not
satisfied with the clandestine activities of one Mr. Peter Meedee and his
collaborators in Ogoni, particularly their renewed (covert) attempt to resume
oil production in the area against the view of the people, a group of opinion
leaders and key stakeholders in Ogoni, under the aegis of Ogoni Ethnic
Nationality, has cautioned against the implication of such unpopular move,
describing it as dubious and ill-conceived.
The
Ogoni Ethnic Nationality says the manner Mr. Meedee and some political chiefs
have carried on their quest to return shell to Ogoni for the commencement of
oil drilling and related activities called for concern, considering the
sensitive nature of that undertaking, and the resolute position of the masses
against such return at the moment.
The
Ogoni people believe that Mr. Meedee and his co travelers are getting it wrong
as such move will not work, particularly now that all attention is on the
anticipated clean-up exercise which has been flagged off by government, even
though not much has been heard from the federal government since after the
widely publicized event.
The
people view the steps taken by Mr. Meedee and co to dialogue with Nigerian
Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, as being selfish and deceptive, as they
continue to lauder the move by the Nigerian company, which is from every
indication a subsidiary of SPDC that was responsible for the untold woes and
anguish melted on the people in cause of oil exploitation in the area, saying
such efforts should be checked as it is designed to again mortgage the interest
of Ogoni to a company that won’t better the lot of the people but add to the
perennial suffering and poverty in the area.
The
Ogoni representative group also explains that it is aware that Mr. Meedee is
apparently acting the All Progressives Congress script of trying to cause
crisis in Ogoni through this very controversial issue, describing the action as
dirty politics, unpatriotic and driven by greed and selfishness.
It
is shameful and disappointing that even the so-called leaders who have lost
relevance and value in Ogoni will rather than accept the reality of time,
continue to engage in activities that would destroy and mortgage the future of
the emerging generation and growing population of the people of Ogoni.
Most
appalling is the fact that the factional KAGOTE leadership, which is an arm of
the APC in Ogoni, has continue to place selfish desire above popular resolve
and interest.
We
have thought that Mr. Meedee and his fellow APC leaders in Ogoni will
demonstrably commit themselves to the success of the Ogoni clean-up exercise
rather than engaging in actions that do not guarantee that success but thwart
it.
Mr.
Meedee needs to desist from causing crisis in Ogoni with his NPDC renewed
deceptive and destructive initiative, as there are indicators to the real
motive behind the current interactions and invitation of the oil company to
Ogoni.
In
our opinion, and the truth of the matter is that the clean-up exercise and NPDC
incursion into Ogoni are two huge issues that any concerned Ogoni man would
take seriously. It is also of fact that no business minded company will prefer
lavishing or throwing money around without getting something in return. So, Mr.
Meedee’s claim that NPDC is only interested in addressing the livelihood issue
in Ogoni is misleading and spurious, as there are covert interests underneath,
taking of the Ogoni oil through the back door.
The
Ogon Ethnic Nationality, aware of potential danger in the wrong and unpopular
process, therefore join other well-meaning people and groups, particularly the
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, to call on all those
linked to it and are desirous to see to the illegal and therefore unacceptable
move to commence oil production in Ogoni now by SPDC or NDDC without cleaning
up the mess by same polluter, to desist and allow the people decide what affect
them accordingly.
The
group also calls on the people of Ogoni to beware and resist the antics of Mr.
Meedee, his compromised chiefs and the APC leaders, who have offered Ogoni up
for sale to their choice oil company without considering the plight of the
people and the communities, explaining that the current leadership of the
factional KAGOTE under Mr. Meedee, does not have the integrity, acceptance and
credibility to discuss or negotiate any serious issue for that matter on behalf
of the people of Ogoni and should therefore be ignored.
Signed:
Batombari
Ledogho
National Cordinator
Ogoni Ethnic Nationality
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
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