Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People

MOSOP

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Browse our archive of press releases, speeches, special reports, memoranda, and other documents.

Events

MOSOP  organises different events including Ogoni Day and participate in international activities.

Ogoni Star

Ogoni Star is the official newspaper of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, published every fortnight. Print version is available at newsstands. You may access it online here.

“We, the people of Ogoni (Babbe, Gokana, Ken Khana, Nyo Khana and Tai) numbering about 500,000 . . .”

Ogoni Bill of Rights

FROM OGONI STAR (Dec 1 - 13, 2009)

Governor Amaechi Warns Diigbo

The Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has strongly warned Mr. Goodluck Diigbo, who is illegally laying claims to the MOSOP Presidency to retract his actions; otherwise he would order his (Diigbo) arrest and would be prosecuted accordingly.

It is heartwarming to note that on Friday, November 27, 2009, the Chief Executive Officer of Rivers State, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, interacted with the electorate in the core MOSOP focus areas, particularly, Good Governance and Accountability in the Niger Delta. The forum, which was held at the Khana Council Headquarters in Bori, was indeed the first of its kind in Ogoni since the inception of his leadership.

Governor Amaechi passionately deplored the conflict generated by Mr. Goodluck Diigbo's self-styled leadership claims, and strongly emphasized that it is wrong for anyone to impose himself as a leader of any group or people when he has not been given such mandate.

Governor Amaechi said Diigbo should desist from parading himself as 'MOSOP President' as this has continuously generated conflict in Ogoni. He cautioned, in very strong terms, that he (Gov. Amaechi) may have to arrest Goodluck Diigbo if he continues in that apparently destabilizing attitude.

During the plenary session, issues that were notably re-echoed by the electorate, at the interactive session, bordered on the need for unity of purpose and cohesion among Ogoni leaders, environmental remediation, women participation in governance, assessment of performance of the Chairmen in the Ogoni Local Government Areas, Goodluck Diigbo's self-imposition on Ogoni people and relocation of Bori Camp to Ogoni kingdom among others.

On the relocation of Bori Camp to Ogoni kingdom, the Governor was quite emphatic and insistent that he would not go back on the plan. He hinted that government would not take kindly to any plans to destabilize this arrangement on the relocation. He cautioned that if Ogoni people attack him personally, being from Ikwerre, because of the planned relocation, the Ikwerre community may react to the attack and this might degenerate to communal crisis. The Governor encouraged the people to wholeheartedly accept the planned relocation.

On the issue of imposition of 'elected representatives' on Ogoni people by the government, the Governor Amaechi assured the people that if he had done that in the past, he would not do it again. He further called on the Ogoni leaders of thought to make effort to reconcile their differences in order to achieve greater feats for their people.

On the assessment of performance of the Chairmen in the Ogoni Local Government Areas, the Governor decried the low rating of the Chairmen of Khana and Tai Local Government Councils, and commended the rating of Gokana and Eleme Local Government Council Chairmen. He went ahead to call on the Chairmen of the Councils to give account of their performance to the people. Whereas the Khana Local Government Chairman could record that he has achieved security in Bori, the Governor promised that the State Government would partner with the Eleme and Gokana Local Government Chairmen. He advised the Khana and Tai Local Government Chairmen to re-evaluate their development focus as the State Government can only partner with Council Chairmen who have track-records of obvious development projects in their councils. Governor Amaechi also directed all council chairmen and government officials to be focused and to use public funds on the development of the people.

The Governor lauded MOSOP on the non- violent approach for the struggle for the emancipation of the Ogoni and other Niger Delta peoples. He pointed out that after Isaac Adaka Boro, Ken Saro-Wiwa broadened the struggle of the Niger Delta. He said his deliberate intention to develop Bori born out of this fact that the Ogonis had loosed eminent sons and daughters in the struggle. The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People has indeed been pro-active in its initiative towards taking governance to the grassroot in Rivers State. This is evident in its introduction of the use of community interactive sessions organized for elected representatives and their electorate, to deepen the tenets of accountability and good governance in the Niger Delta region, particularly Rivers State.

Speaking at the event in Bori, Barrister Cynthia Onwuk of MOSOP's Democracy and Good Governance Programme, leading other committee members, who were also on ground to observe the session, said, MOSOP's advocacy for accountability and good governance and people-oriented leadership paying off. The MOSOP Programme Officer made a clarion call to all elected representatives in Rivers State to ensure that they consult their constituencies regularly, stressing that grassroot people in the various constituencies have the right to be consulted by their elected representatives.

Ogoni Star Newspaper

Ogoni Star is the official newspaper of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, published every fortnight. Print version is available at our offices and newsstands in Nigeria.

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2010

•  Ogoni Star - February 2010 (PDF)

•  Ogoni Star - January 2010 (PDF)

2009

•  Ogoni Star - Special Edition for Ogoni Day 2010 (PDF)

•  Ogoni Star - December 1 - 13, 2009 (PDF)

•  Ogoni Star - October 28 - November 10, 2009 (PDF)

•  Ogoni Star - September 9 - 22, 2009 (PDF)

•  Ogoni Star - August 14 - 27, 2009 (PDF)

•  Ogoni Star - January 10 - 22, 2009 (PDF)