By Nwaorgu Faustinus
***Condemns Activities of Select Chiefs
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has registered its displeasure against the activities of Geoplex Drillteq Limited, a company touted by select Ogoni chiefs for the purpose of resuming oil production in Ogoni despite an overwhelming opposition from the Ogoni people.
MOSOP a statement signed by its President, Mr Fegalo Nsuke said, “We have received very credible information of a planned meeting of this group of chiefs with representatives of Geoplex Drillteq Limited on Saturday, May 25, 2024 at the Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, Ogoni to endorse the company (Geoplex) for the same purpose of resuming oil production in Ogoni.”
Excerpt of the statement: “MOSOP dissociates itself from the said meeting of May 25, 2024 at Bori, which seeks to endorse Geoplex and state our unequivocal rejection of Geoplex Drillteq Limited for whatever purpose that has to do with resuming oil and gas production in Ogoni on the grounds that the conduct of the company is outrightly repressive and brutish and tending towards the genocidal methods of Shell.
“We reiterate that MOSOP led the struggle against Shell and the position of MOSOP on the issue of oil production in Ogoni should be taken very seriously. We reject the violent prone approach of Geoplex and some Ogoni chiefs and maintain our commitment to a genuine broad-based engagement which addresses legitimate demands and concerns of the Ogoni people.
“MOSOP wants to state that in the past four years, we have extensively consulted with different groups including women, youths, professionals, chiefs and leaders of thought and so on, and on September 27, 2020, the Central Committee of MOSOP recommended the operationalization of a development blueprint captioned, the Ogoni Development Authority as an acceptable pathway for a peaceful resumption of oil production in Ogoni. The gains of these engagements should not be allowed to waste.
“MOSOP’s minimal demand calls for a fair proportion of Ogoni resources to be set aside for Ogoni development through the operationalization of an Ogoni Development Authority.
“MOSOP considers it absurd and unacceptable that while an option for a peaceful negotiation and a mutually beneficial settlement is already available, Geoplex Drillteq in connivance with some chiefs will undertake a path that generates so much tension and poses a clear threat to the peace of our society.
“MOSOP therefore declare that any statements, decisions, declarations made at the meeting of chiefs on Saturday, May 25, 2024 in Bori are not acceptable to us and will not be binding on the Ogoni people.
“While we use this opportunity to alert the general public and all our allies around the world of the threat posed by Geoplex and its Shell-styled approach to force itself on the Ogoni people by conniving with some select chiefs, we note that this unilateral action by some select chiefs is not acceptable to MOSOP.
“MOSOP therefore calls on our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to initiate a genuine dialogue to facilitate a peaceful and mutually beneficial engagement which would lead to a peaceful settlement for the good of all parties and our country.”
