The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has advised the Federal Government against what it called “deadening military siege” on the Niger Delta and instead wants its development plans for the region to be implemented.
In a statement sent on line by the spokesman of the body, Mr. Bari-ara Kpalap, MOSOP said the refusal of the federal government to do what it should for the people of the region and the resort to politicisation of Niger Delta development plan accounted for increased restiveness.
It blamed the degeneration of the security situation in the region which culminated in recent bombing of some oil companies as an offshoot of the gross and persistent neglect which the country has subjected the region while paying lip service to the solutions.
They called on the government to swallow its pride and do what is expected of it which they further argued, were within its powers and resources to execute for peace to reign in the region.
“As we understand that the federal government in collaboration with some foreign powers is secretly considering deadnening military siege on the Niger Deltaa, we would advice that the measure be dropped as the issue of violence cannot be resolved with superior violence. Such similar arrangement had not only failed in the past but also hardened positions. The only wise option in our view is that of genuine dialogue that would involve the real stakeholders.
“However, it must be realised that for any initiative to suceed, government must learn from past mistakes and reform its attitude. It is our position therefore, that dealing with the right representatives of the people instead of some discredited politicians who would want to impose their parochial interests as the collective interest of the people, and sincere and effective implementation of agreements reached would be a major breakthrough”, they opined.
MOSOP however pointed out that until the right measures which were well known were applied in solving the Niger Delta problems, it will continue to linger, adding that the first step to take was to see the demands of the people of the region as genuine and legitimate while all should be mobilised to address them in good time.
The body expressed concern over the rising spate of violence in the region which it blamed on the federal government’s failure to adopt and practicalise pragmatic approach in attending to the real problems which stare everyone in the phase on daily basis, added to the attitude of the transnational companies.
While it condemns the poor treatment meted to its people, it however expressed concern to the rising threat to the collective revenue of the country without which the much needed development would continue to be a mirage.
“MOSOP is deeply concerned about what has now become government tradition of reactively responding to major incidents of violence in the Niger Delta, which appear to threaten the main source of revenue.On these occassions, our governments had instantly orchestrated interest in resolving the problems and thus cooling tempers, and then go to sleep. Since the federal government sometime ago trumpeted plans to providing social infrastructure in the region as part of efforts to meet the people’s demands, there is nothing on ground to show government has implemented the plan. This has thus demonstrated that government had made those promises merely to buy time, secure cessation of attacks on oil workers and facilities and achieve resumption of oil production”, they alleged.
An example, they said was the peace initiaticve in Ogoni land where the federal government, Shell Petorleum Development Company Limited and the host communites were to make peace under the umbrella of the United Nations but regrets that it was killed bythe initiator of the scheme in a manner that hascome to typify such projects in the Niger Delta.