Ogoni, the country home of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed along with eight other Ogoni activists by the General Sani Abacha military dictatorship, is currently on the boil again.
Former President of Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee, and the leadership of the Ogoni mass movement, are at the moment working at cross purposes. Already, MOSOP has warned Mitee, Owens Wiwa and others not to cause crisis in Ogoni.
The Ogoni group is branding last Saturday’s meeting of a purported Committee of Friends led by Mitee that was held at Bori-Ogoni and painted as a MOSOP Congress as an effort in futility.
MOSOP’s Publicity Secretary, Young Nkpah, PhD, in a statement, declared the outcome of the Mitee meeting invalid and of no effect whatsoever, warning Ogoni people to be very wary of Mitee, Owens Wiwa and their ilk, whose alleged ‘’lust for money, power and influence have assumed notoriety.
‘’We call on our people, government and her security outfits and the general public to hold Ledum Mitee, Owens Wiwa and co-responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Ogoni. That the said meeting was held under a heavy security shield, tells of the unpopularity and rejection of the organisers and their foot soldiers.
‘’As it is of fact, no popular meeting of the people especially MOSOP’s would have such level of security involvement. We wish to make it very clear that MOSOP did not convoke any MOSOP congress on November 13, 2021, at its Peace and Freedom Centre, Bori-Ogoni. As a civilised organisation, MOSOP is governed by a subsisting constitution.’’
The statement explained that under the constitution, it is only the MOSOP Central Committee headed by the present MOSOP President, Prince Biira that has the power to call for congress. But the Steering Committee has not met.
Arguing, it said, ‘’if the Movement had called any congress, it would have abided by the constitutional provision guiding such meeting. Article 5 (2) (a) of the MOSOP constitution is explicit on those that are qualified to participate in a MOSOP congress.
‘’Article 5 (2) (a) of the MOSOP constitution provides: Congress shall comprise of members of MOSOP Executive Committee in all Chapters, Kingdoms, National and all affiliates (from national to chapter levels).
‘’All executive positions in MOSOP are elective. This means that only elected and serving executive officials of the body at the levels stated above have the constitutional approval to attend a MOSOP congress. If the purported “congress” were to be MOSOP’s, we do not see how Ledum Mitee, Owens Wiwa, Monday Abueh, Kenneth Kobani, Olu Anda Wai-Ogosu, Miigbara Tanee, Georgiana Tenalo, Ben Naanen, Dr Gbenenee, Abraham Olumgwe and others would have been qualified to attend as they are not current executive officials of the organisation at any of the levels aforesaid.
‘’Besides, Legborsi Yamaabana who is the president of Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) and not a member of MOSOP at all, would not have been qualified to participate, talk less of moving the purported motion for the dissolution of legitimate and constitutionally protected executive structures of MOSOP.
‘’Secondly, under the MOSOP constitution, MOSOP Congress has no power to dissolve MOSOP management structures including ordering setting up electoral committee and conducting elections. The functions of the MOSOP congress are unambiguously stipulated in Article 5 (2) (b – i-ii) of the organisation’s constitution.
‘’Following resolution of the succession dispute in the Movement by the Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers of Ogoni and KAGOTE in 2019, a MOSOP National Transition Council with a one year tenure was inaugurated in January 2020.
‘’The council was mandated to conduct MOSOP polls amongst others. In line with this mandate, it conducted elections in December 2020 and the officials that emerged therefrom will be in office till 31 December, 2023.
‘’We debunk the purported declaration of dissolution of the executive organs of MOSOP by the fake committee of friends headed by Ledum Mitee. Insofar as we are concerned, all governance body parts of the Movement especially its national leadership led by Prince Biira are intact.
‘’Evidence abounds, and we recall that on January 28, 2021, this same gang of outlaws shamelessly declared these same structures of MOSOP dissolved. However, who is qualified, and the processes of disbanding MOSOP management structures are clearly spelt out in Article 11 (2) (i-iii).
‘’We, therefore, urge the Ogoni people and the general public to discountenance the false assertion of dissolution of our executive organs.
‘’Nevertheless, the underbelly of the matter occasioning desperation bothers on the inordinate gubernatorial ambition and resumption of oil and gas production in Ogoni. Ledum Mitee is preparing for the 2023 Rivers Sate governorship race as well as eyeing the operatorship of OML 11 and believes that capturing the MOSOP structures especially the national leadership would enhance his success hence the dirty steps being taken.
‘’He and his cohorts strongly believe that the current leadership of the organisation would not act his scripts hence they must be sacked. The artificial challenges faced by MOSOP are the saddening creations of Ledum Mitee and Owens Wiwa who have been sponsoring crisis in the organisation. Facts abound that the duo have been supporting including funding of factions in the body.
‘’We thus salute Fegalo Nsuke, who, in the face of serious threats to his life, courageously and publicly exposed them as his sponsors. In a press statement dated 13 November, 2021 and signed by his secretary-general, Alex Akori, the sabotaging activities of these evil men against MOSOP were revealed.
‘’However, the devious undertakings of the gang aimed at undermining the wellbeing, stability and progress of MOSOP will not discourage us from our avowed determination and commitment to defending and safeguarding the interests of our people.
‘’While we reiterate our call on the Ogoni people and the public to prevail on Ledum Mitee and co to allow peace to reign in Ogoni, our trust is in God, and since the murderous regime of the despotic Sani Abacha could not squeeze us into backing down on our just cause, the present attempt by our internal foes is doomed to fail’’, MOSOP said.
