By Andrew Haruna
The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Fegalo Nsuke, has assured the Ogoni people that despite efforts by some private interests to forcefully resume oil production in Ogoni, he is confident that Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will not trigger an oil-related crisis in Ogoni just to satisfy those interests.
In a statement signed by Alex Akori, Secretary-General of MOSOP, Nsuke, who addressed critical stakeholders including kingdom coordinators of the movement at the MOSOP secretariat in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people on Sunday, expressed optimism that as the nation prepares for the 2027 elections, the Nigerian government will not risk a crisis in Ogoni or any other parts of the Niger Delta.
“The recent move to force a restart of oil production in Ogoni is one of the most deceptive and fraudulent attempts by the oil industry in collaboration with some private interests to trample on our rights, ignore our legitimate concerns and demands for justice, and expect that we will submit to intimidation. I know that resistance to that action is irresistible. However, I believe that Mr. President will not listen to them or yield to the temptation of igniting a crisis in Ogoni or the Niger Delta region at this time,” Nsuke stated.
He added:
“Firstly, a forceful resumption will come with reputational damage to the government, and Mr. President will not risk such image corrosion. It will be better for them to let the sleeping dog lie than hurt the reputation of the government.”
Nsuke urged the Ogoni people to remain calm and disregard every provocation, noting that President Tinubu will not risk the consequences of a crisis in the Niger Delta region ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I will call for civic education in Ogoni kingdoms and chapters and urge all Ogoni people to remain calm in the face of the brazen threats and provocations to resume oil production in the land without proper engagement. You have gone through a lot. We are doing our best to achieve a resolution and hope that the government will accept our offer for dialogue.”
According to Nsuke, the latest attempt to resume oil production in Ogoni without considering MOSOP’s position is an ambush on Mr. President.
“If he falls for it, he will have to contend with a global image crisis and a strong resistance on the home front. If he rejects them and heeds the advice of MOSOP, the Ogoni problem will be permanently resolved, he would have a boost to his reputation, and gain a plus from the Niger Delta region and the international community.”
“Those who plotted this recent oil resumption campaign only wanted to tarnish the image of Mr. President and the government, and MOSOP will not expect the government to yield to such an ambush.”
Nsuke assured the Ogoni people that as Nigeria heads towards another election cycle, an oil-related crisis will not be a good thing for the government. He once again called on the government to accept MOSOP’s offer for dialogue in order to bring lasting peace and resolution to the long-standing Ogoni issue.
Signed:
Alex Akori
Secretary-General
MOSOP
