Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has said that the commencement of oil production in Ogoni would trigger its development proposals that require commitment to invest proportion of resources extracted from the land into infrastructure development.
The association also persuaded all to accept the fact that oil production must resume in Ogoni to generate the revenue that is necessary to drive development in the area, saying: “After years of neglect, a development plan is the goal we should commit to.”
MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, in a statement he issued in Abuja, stated that oil fields in the region have the capacity to produce 500,000 barrels of oil per day estimated at $40 million (N32 billion), saying: “This is stack reality before us at this point; we must tell ourselves the truth.
“That is the soil upon which Ogoni people walk daily in misery, without electricity, jobs for our youths, schools, hospitals, security, among others. This is the basis upon which we decided to pursue our development goals in the best interest of our people.
“The truth is that 32 years of agitation was and have always been a struggle for development, and the developments we seek require massive injection of funds. The plight of the people has brought us into global recognition, and we are hopeful of a solution.”
He, therefore, emphasised that the struggle was launched not as a revolutionary movement against the federal or state government, but as an invitation to dialogue and to draw the attention of both levels of government, as well as other stakeholders to the deprivation in Ogoni communities.
“The years have been historic as they marked the memorial of collective decision to challenge the underdevelopment, which has plagued our society. These rekindle our hope in the struggle for national identity, as a distinct ethnic group in the country,” Nsuke added.
